Sacramento Fire looks to hire physical therapist to reduce injuries, speed up recoveries

Firefighting is no easy job and for more proof of that, Sacramento city firefighters are looking to add a full-time doctor to their department this year. It's a new way to get injured firefighters back on the front lines faster.

Besides helmets and hoses, the fire department is asking for an in-house and on-site doctor of physical therapy position to help reduce and recover from on-the-job injuries.

Over the past 10-years, the fire department has received $55 million in workers' comp claims, the highest number of claims citywide. In that time, the city has paid for 386,000 hours of injured on-duty leave time.

The ask comes in the aftermath of Sacramento's $66 million budget deficit, with the fire department reporting that the money spent on the new physical therapist would save money.

The city is already budgeting for $10 million in backfill staffing costs from injuries this year alone.

Sacramento's fire department is taking this idea from the city of Denver, which has its own in-house physical therapist. The city council is expected to vote on this position on Tuesday.