It takes about 100 Bloomington Fire Department firefighters to respond to 4,000 emergency calls per year. These men and women are committed to their mission of providing honorable, professional and safe responses for all emergency and non-emergency calls from the community. Because they are often pushed to the limit in this high-risk profession, the health and well-being of these tactical athletes is a top priority.
Forté’s First Line Tactical Athlete Program is a proud partner of the Bloomington Fire Department. The program embeds a full-time athletic trainer in the fire department to provide health care to the men and women who serve this community. The partnership includes screenings, education, individualized preventative programming, on-site evaluations, imaging, and rehabilitation services which often result in referrals to our fellowship-trained Forté physicians.
“This program is an investment in our firefighters that says we care about you, not only as a person who’s here to fill a role but also as someone who may battle injuries as a result of this physically demanding job,” said Bloomington Fire Department Jason Moore. “It’s a way to fulfill our promise to look out for those who serve in order to help them serve our community.”
Providing care to Bloomington’s Fire Department is Samantha Ray, a certified athletic trainer with experience treating athletes at Franklin College across a variety of disciplines including volleyball, cheerleading, and cross country and track and field. Ray uses her experience working with athletes and her medical expertise to provide preventative care plans and injury healing solutions.
Ray has become part of the fire department’s team and serves not only as a health care provider but also as a patient advocate. “It is a rewarding experience to give back to those who give so much for us,” said Ray. “In our daily interactions with these tactical athletes, we become trusted resources. I look forward to supporting these heroes and doing everything I can to safely keep them on the job.”
