Jill Craig

Background

Jill enjoyed a twenty-year career with the Austin Fire Department (AFD) starting in 1996, as the department’s Wellness-Fitness Program Manager. She is an exercise physiologist, and her post-graduate education includes a Masters in Sports Medicine. In her role, she worked to develop and implement AFD’s full-time wellness center, an in-house clinic employing a physician, nurses, exercise physiologists, peer fitness trainers (PFTs), and a psychologist. She became a technical advisor to the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) in 1997, and was instrumental in the development of the original IAFF/IAFC Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Initiative (WFI). She was also involved in the development and validation of the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) and the PFT Certification Program.

Post-retirement in 2015, Jill continues to be an active member of the instructor cadre. As an inaugural member of the team, she has delivered numerous classes across the United States and Canada representing Austin Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 975. She enjoys working with fire fighters because they typically have a wicked sense of humor, and are open to challenges.

Activity Habits

A Colorado native, Jill spends half the year in Ridgeway, CO and half the year in Austin, TX. She is an avid alpine skier, backcountry hiker, and equestrian, and intends to continue to enjoy these activities as the years advance. To this end, her favorite fitness endeavors include kettlebells, free weights and yoga. A longtime musician, she is also a vocalist with an Austin rock band; a role that requires her to be quite physically active!

Jill’s motivation to be active can be summarized thusly: “Raging against aging, so I can continue doing what I love”. To her, a physically active lifestyle is both the motivator and the means by which she can ensure that she is always ready for her next adventure. Since many of her preferred activities are outdoors, the weather poses the most formidable challenge to her being as active as she would like; particularly hot days in Austin.

Perspectives on F2T and fire fighter wellness and fitness

In Jill’s opinion, the F2T program is unique because it addresses areas outside of the job. Although many fire fighters are motivated by performance and safety while at work, in her experience, it is more likely that they want the benefits of a wellness and fitness program to be seen in things they values most (e.g. family, personal pursuits). By encouraging fire fighters and departments to take small steps, and by emphasizing the impacts off the job, Jill believes that the F2T program can make significant changes in fire fighters’ physical activity habits.

Jill would like departments and fire fighters to know that the program pays special attention to engraining safe movement patterns (both on, and off, the job) which can reduce the risk of injury. The two words she would use to describe the value of the program are unintimidating and accessible. She would advise fire fighters thinking about investing in their wellness and fitness that, left unattended, physical capacity wanes with aging, while physical demands do not. Physical activity is the most effective countermeasure available to fire fighters to tip the scales in their favor.