VIDEO: Firefighters dedicate their lives to protecting others, often risking their own health. For years, Omaha firefighters have been advocating for money in the city budget to cover health screenings, a resource one retired Omaha firefighter apparatus engineer said saved his life.
“Just figured I would hear the things I wanted to hear, not what became of this test,” said recently retired Omaha firefighter and apparatus engineer Kelly Ryan. Ryan always took pride in his health, but didn’t pass up the opportunity when a federal grant covered his, and all Omaha firefighters, comprehensive health screenings in 2023. A number of screenings led to a stress test.
“So we sped the treadmill up so we could be done, and about a minute later, I was explaining it as the lights went dim,” Ryan said. Further testing showed he had considerable blockage of his heart. “I went to the cardiologist May 9. He dropped a bomb on my wife… excuse me, on my wife and I, saying that I was sicker than we ever would have thought,” Ryan said. And within days, a triple bypass, aortic valve replacement, and a hole in his heart fixed.
