Western Sydney Wanderers FC have today confirmed a new partnership with Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) as part of their Tactical Athlete Resilience Program (TARP) and Rehab initiatives.
The TARP program is sponsored by Employer Mutual Limited (EML) and aims to support FRNSW firefighters through elite sporting organisations, like the Wanderers, to provide access to their professional health services to further enhance their health and wellbeing support.
The partnership also has a rehabilitation element, funded by EML, to ensure that firefighters have access to some of the best treatment and conditioning programs in the country.
Western Sydney Wanderers CEO Scott Hudson said the partnership is part of the club’s responsibility to the Western Sydney community.
“We’re proud to announce the partnership with Fire and Rescue NSW. It’s an extremely unique and proud day for our club to have such an affiliation with an amazing organisation,” said Hudson.
“They key premise to this partnership is multilayered but at the core it is working with Fire & Rescue firies, based in Western Sydney, and giving them access to our world-class training facility in Blacktown to make them fitter and stronger.
“It is based on utilising the expertise and knowledge from the various training programs our high performance teams run to prepare them for the different situations they tackle on a daily basis.
“We are more than just a football club and have a greater community responsibility to the Western Sydney region.”
Fire and Rescue NSW Manager of Health Promotion Brendan Mott said having this support is critical for the program.
“We’re currently running both our TARP and Rehab program at the Western Sydney Wanderers facility in Rooty Hill,” said Mott.
“It looks to use the elite sporting model and apply that to a first responder setting.
“Health and safety is a large priority for our organisation and the demands of our work does come with risk. It is inevitable that at times we suffer injuries in our firefighter workforce so having this support is critical for the program to come to life.”
Fire and Rescue NSW Wellbeing Officer West Joel Grimes is currently participating in the TARP initiative at the Wanderers and believes it’s a fantastic way for firefighters to fulfil their jobs better.
“I’m currently participating in the TARP initiative so we get to use the Western Sydney Wanderers facility and their strength and conditioning coaches to make us better for our roles,” said Grimes.
“Our bodies go through a lot of strenuous activities, so it’s important to be strong and flexible as we are potentially lifting people out of buildings. It’s also good to get education to fulfil our jobs better.
“My experience has been really good and everyone loves the course. It’s a good way as well for firies to network and chat about fitness.”
