The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
strings attached
Several backcountry volunteer fire departments are balking at new contracts with the county that require firefighters to take a physical exam, which many in leadership positions acknowledged they would not pass, according to a published report.
Last year, the County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to bring several of the volunteer departments in the unincorporated parts of the region under the newly formed San Diego County Fire Authority.
The $15 million plan included a provision to cover the volunteers' workers compensation insurance costs, which meant firefighters would have to take a medical exam. Now, at least five volunteer fire agencies are refusing to sign the contracts because of the requirement, reports the North County Times.
Gil Turrentine, 73, is the fire chief of the San Pasqual Volunteer Fire Department, one of the departments declining to sign the contract. He said many longtime volunteers, including his assistant fire chief, are refusing to take the physical because they believe they will not pass the exam because of high blood pressure, weight and other problems.
Last year, the County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to bring several of the volunteer departments in the unincorporated parts of the region under the newly formed San Diego County Fire Authority.
The $15 million plan included a provision to cover the volunteers' workers compensation insurance costs, which meant firefighters would have to take a medical exam. Now, at least five volunteer fire agencies are refusing to sign the contracts because of the requirement, reports the North County Times.
Gil Turrentine, 73, is the fire chief of the San Pasqual Volunteer Fire Department, one of the departments declining to sign the contract. He said many longtime volunteers, including his assistant fire chief, are refusing to take the physical because they believe they will not pass the exam because of high blood pressure, weight and other problems.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Dave on
-
Oh yes the BMI!!! during my last physical the dr told me i was borderline! He made this assumption without even looking at me. Height and weight is all he needed. So i threw out a few numbers...6'2 260 lbs....same results! So i guess Arnold was a fatbody when he won the Mr olympia!!
-
Permalink Reply by Clay Matthews on
-
We require physicals for all the active members. Its great to have b/c it helps to find and help to prevent problems. Yes it might be aggravating having it but, I like my mothers son if you know what I mean. Its to help me stay healthy and doing the thing I love.
-
Permalink Reply by ANON on
-
Are you guys friggin serious. Of course the physicals and medical requirements are needed. You do not get granted into this Brotherhood by a lousy piece of paper from the state. You earn you place,... and not just by being there. You earn the title "firefighter" by busting your ass. Making sure your ready to answer the next call. By both knowledge, skills, and being physically ready. If you cant preform your duties and pass the physicals get the f*** in shape or get the f*** out. You are the people who make the rest of us firemen look like s***. AND ANY CHIEF WHO "PUTS HIS COSTUME ON KNOWING THAT HE CANT EVEN DO THE BASIC JOB FUNCTIONS, AND WHO FAIL TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL FITNESS ,AND FIGHT THIS ISSUE WHILE PLACING HIS FIREFIGHTERS IN UNNECESSARY DANGER SHOUD'VE RETIRED LONG AGO. DONT STAY IN THE JOB SO YOU CAN JUSTIFY THE 10 STICKERS IN YOUR BACK WINDOW.
and Myself,...Im not a "fitness guru" by no stretch of the imagination but I sure as hell can pass most physical agility tests and physicals and do my job. OR WAIT I MAY BE WRONG,...LETS JUST PUT ANYONE IN A COSTUME WITH A WHITE HELMET THAT HAS A PULSE AND LET HIM STAND IN THEIR PLACE.
COME ON PEOPLE,...I KNOW COMMON SENSE IS NOT COMMON BUT DAMN.
-
Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on
-
Hold EM High indeed Damnthing! Your singing load and clear for the Chief. Well said Bro! Hummm? lets see if I have this clear? I wouldnt sign the contract because I might not pass the physical exam? Holly biosolids! Oregon OSHA would be knocking on my door in a half second after that statement. WAHHHHHHHHHH! I can be overweight, high blood pressure and in general not capable of doing my job but hey! I deserve to remain in my position cause I am somehow entitled to it? GIVE ME A BREAK! Thanks DAMNTHING! for your holding the standard high.
-
Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
-
If you look at what is driving the physicals, it's a recommended standard or two, and an administrative regulation...
The standards are the NFPA 1500 Firefighter Occupational Safety & Health Standard that states that firefighters should have an annual physical due to the hazards of the job. That standard does not differentiate between career and volunteer firefighters. The NFPA 1582 is the Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program, and describes the physicals, disqualifying medical conditions, and how and by whom the physicals should be conducted. While good things, like any NFPA standard, department compliance is voluntary.
The mandatory standard applies only to firefighters who enter IDLH atmospheres and who are thus required to wear respirators. The OSHA 29 CFR 1919.134 Respiratory Protection Program mandates annual physicals that include medical clearance to wear respirators (including SCBA) for any firefighter who enters IDLH atmospheres or who wears SCBA. If a fire department has members that do not wear SCBA or enter IDLH atmospheres (Command officers, driver/operators, fire police) then those personnel are not legally required to get the physicals.
-
Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
-
There's really no argument against this post. Common sense should prevail... And most importantly, your health and the ability to do the job could have a deleterious (negative) outcome for other crew members involved with an incident. If you cannot do the job, and do it safely, then why would you be there in the first place?
The answer here is individual accountability and personal responsibility to not put yourself or your crew in a situation that you cannot handle physically or emotionally. As said before in several posts, this job is not meant for everyone...
CB
-
-
I think the issue is for volunteer departments that don't have enough manpower to make everyone an "entry" firefighter. It's not ideal, but if they have people that can perform less-strenuous exterior duties, and it lets the ones that can pass the physical perform the more physically-stressful interior attack and RIT duties, then they have the legal right to do it.
This was the basis of my defense of some of the smaller "defensive only" VFDs a while back. If they can't afford the physicals, or if they don't have enough active members that can pass the physicals, then they can't afford to take the risks of doing interior attacks.
Note that in the U.S., in many cases, you have a Constitutional right to do things that are potentially harmful to yourself, like performing exterior firefighting duties without passing a firefighter physical first. Legal rights doesn't necessarily equal "smart".
-
-
They don't if they're interior firefighters. So sez OSHA 29CFR 1910.134.
-
-
FETC, there is a growing body of evidence that a lot of firefighter heart attacks can't be prevented by good physical conditioning. The two particular mechanisms are dehydration and cyanide poisoning.
Cyanide poisoning can be prevented by wearing SCBA for all interior activities, especially overhaul, and by using a RAD 57 with a CN sensor for mandatory firefighter rehab. Firefighters that allow overhaul without SCBA or CN monitoring may have a heart attack LODD that masquerades as being the result of cardiovascular disease.
The dehydration mechanism results from the blood thickening when we lose too much sweat. Thicker blood equals increased risk of hyper-clotting by the blood platelets. Those clots cause heart attacks. Atherosclerosis puts you at higher risk for this mechanism, but being in good physical shape and being able to pass a firefighter physical hasn't been proven to be a reliable indicator of resistance to this heart attack mechanism.
We lose some firefighters to heart attacks who are older, overweight, smokers, or who have other risk factors, but we lose some young, fit, dehydrated/heat exhausted firefighters to heart attacks, too.
Good physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle help, but so do wearing your mask, having lots of manpower, rehabbing, and frequently rotating crews, especially in the tropical heat wave that's hitting my place right now.
-
Permalink Reply by FETC on
-
I totally agree with the factors you present but I have also seen /taught some big boy 400+ pounder 20 year olds who are now on the job and you can't tell me they are fit for duty. If I was the Chief having to buy three sets of gear for one guy, it might be a red flag. Same goes for a 70 year old firefighter who collapses of a heart attack directing traffic??? Those in our LODD column are clearly preventable to reducing the fire service's numbers.
How? They shouldn't have been there to begin with...
-
Permalink Reply by Dewayne and Diana Bean on
-
I feel for people like Gil Turrentine who is a senior citizen who has came thru the ranks to get where hes at. That being said I believe there is a place for everyone on a volunteer fd whether it be safety officer, PRO, or engineer that may have less strenous duties. Interior attacks, I agree if you want to make entry then you should have to have a physical due to the strenous nature, remember in volunteer or at least my department if you think someone is a safety risk you can change their role, not vote them in to begin with, make a motion to remove if does not adhere to safety standards etc. That being said FF physicals yes and no
-
Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
-
Freedom of choice...?? are you serious...? This is as close to suicide as you can get without pulling the trigger....No, it is not you decision...hey, I might be your partner and need to depend on you being there and being able to help if the proverbial human excrement hits the oscillating blades (shit hits the fan)...Lets get with it people....Stay safe...Keep the Faith....Paul
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next ›
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
