BEAVERTON, Ore. — Emergency dispatchers are testing the use of treadmills at their 911 call center workstations.
Dispatchers started using treadmills at their workstations on a voluntary basis six months ago, reported KGW.
The maximum speed for the treadmills is two miles per hour, enough for several dispatchers to report feeling better and losing weight.
The dispatchers explained that walking on a treadmill doesn’t interrupt emergency calls. They have the ability to stop the equipment at any given time.
“I don’t think I’ve ever broken a sweat,” said dispatcher Bill Jolley. “At two miles per hour, it’s a pretty leisurely pace, but you do stay moving.”
“At first it was kind of different,” said dispatcher John Mason. “But after a while of doing it, it just kind of feels like everything else.”
Oregon Health & Science University is studying the effects on reaction, mood and health of emergency call center employees using the treadmills. Though it is too early to determine the results of the study, the dispatchers say the exercise is helping with concentration, awareness and relieving stress.
“Obviously you are working but you feel like you kind of worked out in a sense,” said dispatcher Katie Fischer, who’d logged just under 10 miles in one shift.
The biggest concern for one dispatcher is a misstep or fall.
“What if I fall off of it?” laughed Fischer. “How do I recover from that?”