Eastern to host fitness challenge for future first responders

State's Department of Emergency Services supports Career Pathways Program

Willimantic, CT (04/10/2026) — Eastern Connecticut State University's Career Pathways Program will host the "Eastern Fitness Challenge" on April 13 in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP). The event will take place at 1 p.m. on the Webb Hall Lawn.

The challenge is based on the tests that Connecticut police and fire professionals must pass before being hired. DESPP representatives will be on site, providing students in Eastern's Emergency Services and Public Safety (ESPS) Pathway opportunities to discuss career prospects.

DESPP includes the Connecticut State Police; the Police Officers Standards and Training Council; Emergency Telecommunications; Fire Prevention and Control; Emergency Management and Homeland Security; and Scientific Services.

"Our fitness challenge event is intended to highlight the importance of physical fitness in certain careers, like fire, police, emergency medical services, and many others," wrote William Lugo, professor of criminology and sociology and director of Eastern's Career Pathways program.

Lugo continued: "We hope to do this in a fun and engaging way and are excited to partner with so many state and local agencies."

Eastern's Career Pathways Program, including the ESPS Pathway, combines coursework and experiential learning to provide students with real-world experience in in-demand fields and help them build sought-after skills and robust professional networks before graduating.

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-26 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

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