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Hubbard police get fitness equipment
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Hubbard Township Police Officer Greg Tarr works out on a leg machine in the new exercise room at Hubbard Township Police Department. The department received some donated equipment, and Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 85 bought other pieces including a treadmill, in foreground. Tarr said the exercise equipment will help increase officers’ fitness.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
HUBBARD
Greg Tarr, a Hubbard Township police officer since 1993, is pumped up about his new assignment.
He’s the wellness- program coordinator in the department and liaison to Ohio Public Entity Consortium wellness program.
A fitness buff since playing football for Hubbard High School in the 1980s and hanging out in his father Nick’s garage, the place to be for “anybody that lifted weights,” Tarr was the perfect choice for the assignment according to Police Chief Todd Coonce. Tarr has competed in the Police Olympics and will compete in 2012.
The department added a small room to house some fitness equipment donated by Banyan Tree Rehabilitation, which had closed. Coonce said he was contacted by Rick Jugenheimer of Jugenheimer Industrial Supply, which owned the building where the rehab had been, to see if the department was interested in accepting the equipment. After checking it out, Coonce and Tarr agreed it would be an asset for the department.
The police department got a leg-curl machine, which strengthens hamstring muscles; leg extension, which benefits thighs and quads; torso machine, which pumps up the core; and a Smith machine, which offers numerous exercises for the chest, shoulders, legs and back.
The township’s Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 85 bought a treadmill, adjustable bench press, dumbbell set and curl bar to add to the equipment.
“The equipment is a great stress reliever,” Coonce said.
Tarr said he envisions the exercise equipment providing short- and long-term benefits. Since the equipment is available 24/7 to officers in the department, they can use it anytime. It can help “de-stress” after a shift.
Using the equipment over time will increase the physical fitness of the officers. Tarr said at times police work does involve being physical, but long hours in a cruiser take their toll on leg muscles and the back.
“We’ll end up with a healthier police force,” he said. The township has nine full-time and 10 part-time officers.
He noted that because the exercise equipment is right there at the police department, its accessibility is a key factor. “The guys don’t have to pay for a gym or travel somewhere," Tarr said. He will help other officers develop exercise regimens.
Tarr said the OPEC Wellness Program offers a website to participants that supports overall health and fitness. The website helps participants learn about wellness activities, tracking progress and accessing health information.
A bonus is that participants can earn credits for getting a routine physical, signing a nonsmoking affidavit, doing preventative care such as eye exams, giving blood, participating in a walk or run or registering for a weight-loss program.
Tarr said those credits eventually will translate into monetary reductions in out-of-pocket deductibles for health insurance. That is currently being worked out, he said.
He said the in-house exercise program combined with the OPEC Wellness Program will help reduce insurance costs in the future, which would help the township’s overall budget.
Tarr, who is a competitive power-lifter and has benched-pressed 530 pounds, said he also has the background to help fellow officers in making better nutrition choices.