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Comment by Jon on August 10, 2009 at 4:16pm

Keep fighting the good fight. I too am red/green deficient but I got hired with Compton Fire Department in SoCal. I, of course, had to put in a formal appeal and jump through hoops. If you are at that process with any department, make an appeal packet. Look up NFPA 1582. That standard states that you cannot be color deficient because we use certain devices. They use the thermal imaging camera as a specific example. Now, I'm not sure why you need to see certain shades of color when the TIC projects in black, white, and gray. Some new models of TICs do use color but it's in yellow and red. The difference between the colors is to identify how hot it is. Who cares? The real reason that TICs were developed was to determine body heat from the seat of the fire. Nobody really cares if the heat source is 400 degress or 500. Heat is heat. Everybody I've asked: Doctor's, fire captains, fire chiefs, engineers, personnel workers: none of them can give me a straight answer as to why fire departments still use this standard. I can understand doing a grip test and a PEEP test for respiratory problems. But all the answers dance around this particular question but nobody knows. I'm very sorry to ramble. This issue makes me upset because it almost ended my career before it started, and for no real apparent reason.

Anywho, keep the fight up. Appeal as much as you can. Go to ophthalmologists and have other tests to determine the extent of your colorblindness. Have some type of medical back up. If any department allows you to show that you can use a TIC, ask for some type of test to prove you can use it. That is how I got hired with Compton. I showed them that I was able to use the TIC successfully in a pitch black environment. I've heard of other guys getting the Federal Equal Opportunity Board or the Disabilities Act people involved. I don't like the idea of it myself but you have to fight for that 30 year career.

Comment by Oldman on April 29, 2009 at 12:53pm

The answer is not so black and white. Sorry, I had to say it.

I too have had red/green colorblindness since we rode dinosaurs to work, and it has never been an issue. As the maintenance supervisor for my department, I sometimes have to trace wires, which causes minor inconveniences occasionally. As far as my public safety career goes, it was not an issue in law enforcement, EMS, or Fire. The FAA has no problem with me having a license to fly. Texas DPS has no problem with my having a commercial drivers license.

"before i pay for college courses" Take the courses. How would they be a waste? Anything you can learn only makes you better. Take it one step at a time. I really don't see it being a problem.

Comment by Oldman on April 29, 2009 at 12:53pm

The answer is not so black and white. Sorry, I had to say it.

I too have had red/green colorblindness since we rode dinosaurs to work, and it has never been an issue. As the maintenance supervisor for my department, I sometimes have to trace wires, which causes minor inconveniences occasionally. As far as my public safety career goes, it was not an issue in law enforcement, EMS, or Fire. The FAA has no problem with me having a license to fly. Texas DPS has no problem with my having a commercial drivers license.

"before i pay for college courses" Take the courses. How would they be a waste? Anything you can learn only makes you better. Take it one step at a time. I really don't see it being a problem.

Comment by Mark Klaene on April 28, 2009 at 10:04pm

Check with your dept if you can . I certainly have never seen it show up in FF certification training BUT does it affect your ability to drive ? If you can pass a CDL physical then you are "probably" safe for driving apparatus. as far as dept physicals --anyones guess---

Comment by Jay Nicholson on April 28, 2009 at 9:24pm

I'm no expert on the subject but, my advice is that if you have a particular dept in mind, you might want to check with them. From what I've seen here at FFN, it's a huge problem with some depts(LA County) but not in others.