According to Fire Chief Paul Leclair, the City of Lewiston and the Lewiston Firefighters Association recognize that heart attacks are the leading cause of firefighter deaths and have been collaborating since 2003 to create a “healthier firefighter and work environment” through the adoption of the IAFF/IAFC Fire Service Joint Labor-Management Wellness Fitness Initiative.

In 2003, the Fire Department received an Assistance to Firefighters Grant, which was used to purchase aerobic and weight training equipment for each of the City's four stations and to complete preliminary health screenings to include a complete lipid profile (cholesterol), glucose measurement, pulmonary function measurement, body mass index, chest X-ray for 40 years old and over, and maximum treadmill testing for at-risk personnel.

Over the next four years, the union and the City were able to expand the program to include mandatory annual physicals, an annual meeting with a health care educator, wellness training, one hour of mandatory exercise time, and the introduction of four firefighters certified as “IAFF Peer Fitness Trainers." As an additional incentive, firefighters are offered a health insurance bonus if they complete an aerobic capacity test, are a non-tobacco user, and pass a body mass index (percentage of body fat) test. It is also advocated that such a lifestyle is a family commitment, and spouses are included in the health insurance bonus. In that regard, Central Maine Medical Center has offered their gym facilities so spouses may also work out. The final part of the agreement requires that all future employees will be required to annually perform the aerobic capacity test and a flexibility test & must be tobacco free for their entire career.