The International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) will be observed on Friday (today) across the world, including Pakistan, to support the lives lost and dedicated firefighters who risk their lives every day to save life and property.
It was instituted after proposal emailed out across the world on January 4, 1999 due to the deaths of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a wildfire in Australia. May 4 is considered as a traditional Firefighters Day in many European countries, because it is the day of Saint Florian, patron saint of firefighters. Sometimes that dedication is in the form of countless hours volunteered over many years, in others it is many selfless years working in the industry. In all cases it risks the ultimate sacrifice of a firefighter’s life. The (IFFD) is a time where the world’s community can recognise and honour the sacrifices that firefighters make to ensure that communities and environment are as safe as possible. It is also a day in which current and past firefighters can be thanked for their contributions. (IFFD) invite to remember the past firefighters who have died while serving our community or dedicate their lives to protecting the safety of us all. By proudly wearing and displaying blue and red ribbons pinned together or by participating in a memorial or recognition event, show our gratitude to firefighters everywhere. The IFFD ribbons are linked to colours symbolic of the main elements firefighters work with red for fire and blue for water. These colours are also internationally recognised as representing emergency service.
Pedal your way to better health: A mini exercise bike that can be used while working at a desk could help improve the health of office workers and others with sedentary jobs.
The device includes a set of pedals that can be set up in front of most office chairs and used while a person is seated. Sedentary time is independently associated with an increased risk of metabolic disease. Worksite interventions designed to decrease sedentary time may serve to improve employee health, Health News reported. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and use of a pedal exercise machine for reducing workplace sedentary time. Researchers recruited 18 eighteen full-time American employees, mostly female, overweight and 40 years old, on average. The participants spent at least 75 percent of their workday sitting at a desk or work station. The mini exercise bike comprised a set of pedals that could be set up in front of most standard office chairs for use while seated, and which made very little noise. The volunteers were wired up to an exercise tracking device via their computers, which monitored their activity and provided real time feedback on pedal speed, distance covered, and how many calories they burned. The participants generally used the portable pedal machines on 12 of 20 workdays and for an average of 23 minutes each of those days.
