By Tracy Overstreet
tracy.overstreet@theindependent.com

Human Resources Director Brenda Sutherland said the city reduced the number of missed work days by firefighters due to lifting injuries from 87 days in 2003 to 9 days last year.

The Fire Department began purchasing power cots two years ago. But because of the $10,000 per cot cost, it wasn't until the end of 2007 that each of the four fire stations had a power cot.

Sutherland, who maintains the city's workman's compensation claims, said a number of the claims were specific to firefighter back and shoulder injuries related to lifting large patients or from having some issue with the cots.

Those claims by year were:

* 2003 7 injuries, 87 days of missed work.

* 2004 2 injuries, 69 days of missed work.

* 2005 3 injuries, 12 days of missed work.

* 2006 6 injuries, 56 days of missed work.

* 2007 1 injury, 9 days of missed work.

"One thing to remember here is that a day of missed work is a 24-hour shift," Sutherland said. "They work two shift days one week and three the next. So, someone could miss six days of work and that would span more than two weeks."

Sutherland said the severity of the claims varied widely from muscle strain to torn rotator cuffs and back injuries.

"From reviewing the files it seems that the thing that has really given them trouble is lifting large patients in awkward positions such as making turns to go down stairways," she said.

Besides the power cot, firefighters are also focusing on special stretches and exercises for the back at the start of every shift, fire officials said.