Warner Robins launches ESNTL Wellness tech initiative for all public safety employees
Every police officer and firefighter in the city will receive an iPhone and Apple Watch with the ESNTL Wellness app installed to track their vitals and notify them about health alerts.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The City of Warner Robins is leading the way as a smart city with a new partnership between Apple, Inc. and Concentrix Catalyst to promote the mental and physical wellbeing of its public safety employees through the ESNTL Wellness initiative.
According to Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick, the initiative is a first of its kind in the state.
“We have the means to utilize all the smart technology out there,” Mayor Patrick said. “We want to expand our footprint when it comes to public safety, expand our footprint when it comes to many things, and technology is the way of the future.”
Through the partnership, all 226 police officers and firefighters in Warner Robins will receive an iPhone and Apple Watch with the ESNTL Wellness app installed to track their vitals and notify them about health alerts in real-time.
“The device has the technology to follow and track a lot of different vitals,” Mayor Patrick explained. “It’ll give triggers whenever your sleep is too low, whenever you’re not eating or drinking enough.”
Mayor Patrick says ESNTL Wellness can help keep public safety officers safe in the line of duty. It can also help the city save money.
Licenses for the software cost less than $2 per device, and iPhones were free through the partnership according to Mayor Patrick.
While the Apple Watches cost the city around $74,000 for all 226 public safety employees, Mayor Patrick says the initiative will save the city money in the long run because of the strain it takes off manpower.
Interim Chief of the Warner Robins Police Department Roy Whitehead says police officers often don’t want to talk about feeling tired or stressed. Through the ESNTL Wellness app, he says they can be alerted to health risks before it’s too late.
“We have periods of rest between periods of chaos, and you never know when they’re coming,” Chief Whitehead explained. “So you just have to be ready and be prepared mentally and physically to be able to stand up to the challenges that you face.”
Chief Whitehead says ESNTL Wellness is about working smarter, not harder. He says that ensuring the well-being of public safety employees can help improve safety for the residents of Warner Robins.
“You’ve gotta be at the peak of health and performance if you’re going to do the best job for your citizens,” Chief Whitehead said.
Warner Robins has moved out of the pilot phase of ESNTL Wellness and is in the process of fully integrating the technology. Mayor Patrick says all public safety employees should be equipped with devices within the next 60 days.
