Angelenos will not soon forget the Woolsey Fire of November 2018. Over 14 days, one of California's most devastating wildfires swept across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, claiming three lives, destroying more than 1,500 structures, and forcing the evacuation of more than 295,000 residents.
In the wake of the Woolsey Fire, Human Touch sought ways to give back to the firefighters that directly impacted their close-knit team amid great devastation and loss. “It was such a natural fit and so personal for our team,” Megan Harvey, Digital Marketing Manager with Human Touch, said of finding the LAFD Foundation.
For the past five years, Human Touch has partnered with the LAFD Foundation to support local LAFD fire stations with more than 25 massage chairs and foot massagers that bring relief, recovery, and comfort to mentally and physically strained firefighters.
"It has been a privilege for us to support the remarkable firefighters of the Los Angeles Fire Department," shared David Wood, Human Touch CEO. "We’ve made it a cornerstone of our company values to foster a sense of community, and we’re thankful for the opportunity to assist these courageous individuals who selflessly put themselves in harm's way to protect and serve."
For firefighters who experience long-term wear and tear on their bodies that increases with each call, scheduling or planning a massage while on one of their many 24-hour shifts is simply not possible. “Firefighters are at the station for back-to-back shifts, for days at a time,” Harvey acknowledged. The rare times that they get to recover and reset mentally and physically are crucial to their ability to continue showing up call after call.
Unlike many of us, firefighters have no ‘snooze’ button – when the station alarm sounds, it does not matter if they are in a massage chair, working out, or catching a brief moment of shuteye. They are up and donning their turnout gear within 60 seconds to respond to every call.
“Part of being ready to go is making sure that you’ve recovered as much as possible from whatever you were doing prior,” Harvey emphasized. “Recovery is such a big need for firefighters.”
“Firefighter feedback affirms that what we’re doing is really having an impact,” Harvey added. The massage chairs have done their part in helping to change lives. Firefighters who were unable to sleep at night post-surgery, or those recovering from accidents or injuries, have found rest and healing through Human Touch.
“Those are the reasons that we do what we do,” Harvey said.
Human Touch is a major player in the wellness space, having provided innovative products and massage experiences that deliver life-changing benefits for the past 45 years. But these products are only a small piece of the puzzle.
Harvey emphasized that Human Touch considers community well-being and emotional wellness huge components of the company’s overarching wellness ethos.
While massages can and should be for personal pleasure and relaxation, Harvey highlights that for many of the individuals and communities that Human Touch serves, including our firefighters, the focus is on long-term healing and recovery.
The LAFD Foundation extends sincere thanks Human Touch for their continued partnership and years of ongoing support for our firefighters.
