About us
Born from the fire service. Trusted by public safety since 1980.
North Greenville Fitness and Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinic, Inc. is a medically monitored fitness and cardiac rehabilitation clinic based in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, with a staff of qualified professionals who take the screening to you.
Our story
We exist because of the fire service.
In 1980, OSHA’s Fire Brigade standard required fire departments to make sure the people they send into interior structural firefighting are physically capable of doing the job.
The standard also says an employer shall not permit employees with known heart disease, epilepsy or emphysema to take part in fire brigade emergency activities unless a physician’s certificate is provided. North Greenville Fitness was established that same year to give departments a practical way to meet that requirement.
The model worked, and it has since proven itself well beyond the fire service: law enforcement, emergency medical services, Haz-Mat teams, water and sewer departments, utilities and state employees.
The number one killer in public safety is coronary artery disease. That fact shapes everything about how our program is built, from the 12-lead EKG stress test to the blood panel.
public safety personnel tested each year
departments served
states where we provide services
individuals screened annually across all programs
Credentials
Who is actually running your tests.
The quality of a screening comes down to the people performing it. Here is how our teams are built.
Three dedicated teams
Three teams of four exercise physiologists, each headed by a Vice President and a Lead Physiologist. Each team performs approximately 4,000 tests a year.
Degreed in exercise science
All team members are four-year college graduates in exercise science or above, prepared at the bachelor’s or master’s level.
ACLS certified
Each team member is Advanced Cardiac Life Support certified, which matters when you are putting hearts under exertion.
A phlebotomist on every team
Each team has its own certified phlebotomist, drawing approximately 4,000 participants a year.
Licensed, residency-trained physicians
The physicians who monitor our testing sessions are state licensed and residency trained, and our medical directors are board certified.
Reviewed for OSHA compliance annually
The program and the Physician’s Certificate are reviewed each year against OSHA 1910.156, 1910.120 and 1910.134. We can also meet and exceed the recommendations of NFPA 1582.
The program
More than the normal physical, on your schedule.
The basic program is designed to meet all of the OSHA regulations and to provide a health screening that far exceeds the normal physician’s physical examination, from the executive blood panel to the twelve-lead EKG graded exercise test.
All examinations are conducted at your location, on shift, eliminating the need for overtime. Testing runs for a four to five hour period in the morning or the afternoon, which leaves the rest of the day for training.
If you have volunteers, we schedule testing for the late afternoon and plan around your training nights. We are designed to be flexible so you get the best service possible.
Explore the Screening ProgramEvery participant receives
- A one-on-one physician conversationEach person can sit down with a physician and discuss their testing results.
- An exercise prescriptionBased on estimated aerobic capacity, preferred type of exercise and current risk level.
- An individual report packetCoronary risk, pulmonary function, body composition and aerobic capacity, each explained in plain language.
- Strength and flexibility on requestMuscular strength, endurance and flexibility assessments at no extra charge.
- Hearing and vision screeningBasic screening is standard. An audiology booth screening is available on request.
Our approach
OSHA is required. NFPA 1582 is recommended. We respect the difference.
We provide services in accordance with OSHA regulations and NFPA 1582 recommendations, and we are straightforward about which is which.
Compliance first
OSHA regulations are mandatory, so they come first: 1910.156 for fire brigades, 1910.134 for respiratory protection, 1910.120 for hazardous waste operations and emergency response, and 1910.1030 for bloodborne pathogens.
NFPA 1582 is an excellent set of guidelines, and we take its recommendations seriously where they are feasible for your department. It is a recommendation rather than a mandate.
The test that matters
Treadmill, cycle, step and arm ergometers are all accepted ways to raise the heart rate. What matters when screening for heart disease is that the heart is brought to roughly 80 to 85 percent of its maximum while a 12-lead EKG watches for electrical abnormalities and blockages.
We go past the minimum with a 12-lead sub-maximal stress test, total cholesterol and triglyceride analysis, and optional C-Reactive Protein testing.
Schedule a screening
We bring the clinic to your department.
Tell us how many personnel you need screened and where. We’ll build a testing schedule around your shifts.