Results
Measured Results That Connect Health with Operational Readiness
Observed outcomes from Bryan Fire Department and Fort Bend County ESD 7 show changes in time on light duty, early care access, aerobic capacity, blood lipids, body composition, and glycemic status.
How We Present Results
Observed Outcomes First, with Context Where It Matters
- Direct measurements are shown as observed.
- Calculated comparisons show their basis.
- Research context explains why a change matters.
- Projections remain separate from observed outcomes.
Bryan Fire Department
Approximately 90% Lower Light-Duty Duration
Reported cases involving the Health and Wellness Program averaged 12.2 calendar days of light duty, compared with 125.8 days across cases without program involvement—a difference of 113.6 days per case.
12.2 Days
With Health and Wellness Involvement
≈90% Lower
Average Light-Duty Duration
125.8 Days
Without Health and Wellness Involvement
72
Early Musculoskeletal Episodes Addressed
Evaluations and treatment episodes completed during the first program year.
54 of 54
Respondents Who Expected to Delay Care
Every respondent reported that, without the program, they expected to wait until the concern became substantially worse or disabling.
What This Means
Earlier evaluation and coordinated support were associated with substantially shorter light-duty duration in the reported comparison groups. In operational terms, fewer restricted-duty days can reduce reassignment pressure and help departments restore full staffing sooner.
About the Data
The 12.2-day average reflects eight Health and Wellness-involved instances from March 2023 through March 2024. The 125.8-day average reflects seven cases without Health and Wellness involvement across the three-year program period. The groups were not randomized, severity-matched, or observed over identical time windows, so the comparison should not be interpreted as a controlled estimate of causation.
The 72 episodes are treatment encounters, not workers’ compensation claims avoided. The 54-of-54 result is a retrospective survey finding. Staffing and payroll savings were not audited.
Bryan — Three-Year Health Trends
Observed Three-Year Changes Across Key Health Measures
Bryan Fire Department’s three-year group averages moved in favorable directions across aerobic capacity, ApoB, non-HDL cholesterol, body-fat percentage, visceral fat area, and glycemic status.
Three-Year Glycemic Outcomes
25
Baseline Prediabetes Group
4
Returned to the Normal A1c Range
0
Progressed to Type 2 Diabetes
The remaining 21 participants stayed within the prediabetes range during the three-year period.
What This Means
Four firefighters improved out of the prediabetes range, and no one in the tracked group progressed to type 2 diabetes during the three-year period. That is a meaningful department-level health outcome.
+0.5 MET
Aerobic Capacity
Three-Year Group Change
−9 mg/dL
ApoB
Three-Year Group Change
−7.4 mg/dL
Non-HDL Cholesterol
Three-Year Group Change
−0.68 Points
Body-Fat Percentage
Three-Year Group Change
−5.1 cm²
Visceral Fat Area
Three-Year Group Change
What These Results Mean
Taken together, the direction of change is consistent with better cardiovascular fitness and lower cardiometabolic risk. The results also show where continued work is needed: 21 participants remained in the prediabetes range.
About the Data
These are group-level program records. They do not establish that the program alone caused each change and should not be converted into counts of events prevented, guaranteed medical savings, or individual risk reductions.
All 25 participants received a universal layer of education, routine conversations, access to wellness staff, and an evolving culture of prevention. Individualized A1c-directed conversations began after delayed data became usable in August 2026. Laboratory methods and classification thresholds across years have not yet been independently confirmed.
Research Context and Sources
Published research provides context for why these directions matter. In the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study, participants who reached normal glucose regulation at least once had 56% lower subsequent diabetes risk than participants who remained prediabetic. Diagnosed diabetes is also associated with substantially higher annual medical spending. Lower ApoB generally reflects fewer atherogenic particles in circulation.
Fort Bend County ESD 7 (Fresno Fire)
Department-Level Aerobic Capacity Reached 12 METs
The department-level average increased from 9.8 METs at the 2025 baseline to 12.0 METs at the 2026 follow-up—a 2.2-MET, approximately 22%, increase.
9.8 METs
2025 Baseline
+2.2 METs
Department-Level Increase
12.0 METs
2026 Follow-Up
Reached the 12-MET Benchmark
What This Means
A 12-MET average represents greater aerobic reserve for the sustained physical work and recovery demands of firefighting. Published research also consistently associates higher cardiorespiratory fitness with improved long-term health and survival.
About the Data
These are unmatched department-level averages. Without matched-person analysis, they do not establish individual improvement or a causal program effect. The same follow-up identified blood-pressure risk indicators requiring greater attention, helping define the next phase of program priorities.
Research Context and Sources
Twelve METs equals approximately 42 mL/kg/min. In a large clinical cohort, each 1-MET higher exercise capacity was associated with 12% better survival. These published associations provide context rather than an individual risk estimate or a count of events prevented in this department.
Measurement from Day One
Build Evidence That Belongs to Your Workforce
Every engagement begins by defining the covered population, baseline, outcomes, time window, privacy boundaries, and reporting method. Prior fire-service outcomes inform program design while each partner builds its own decision-grade evidence.
A Disciplined Starting Point