The Chandler City Council has approved a $250,000 agreement with Sigma Tactical Wellness for screenings to detect early signs of heart disease and related conditions among police officers.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of active and retired law enforcement officers, according to Sigma Tactical Wellness.

Early detection has shown “massive potential in eliminating the catastrophic effects of cardiac disease among first responders,” a Chandler release stated.

The health-and-wellness benefit is voluntary, city officials said, adding any follow-up medical testing, consultations and care necessary to address a personal health condition will be an officer’s responsibility.

The preventative screening program will provide officers with an understanding of their current metabolic status and individual cardiovascular risk, including exercise and nutrition modification recommendations.

Sigma’s system evaluates early stages of coronary disease and markers used to predict the development of a heart attack. The cardiometabolic health screening incorporates medical evaluation, blood-based inflammatory biomarker detection, vascular imaging and cardiopulmonary exercise testing to identify early onset and late-stage coronary disease, according to the release.