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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
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Granted, but how much of that is like the nursing home that calls for a transport for a 70-year-old DNR patient at 3 AM just so that the patient dies somewhere else?
I've also seen some 300 (not 400) pounders that can pass every medical exam and physical test you can throw at them. It might not be smart on the obese firefighters' part, but the legalities say that you can't discriminate someone that can pass all of the job-related testing.
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I realize that, but my answer was for you both.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Cole on
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There is NO place for 70-some year-old members on the line. That's the first problem. The second isn't "big brother' making mandates, but rather certain firefighter groups holding their communities hostage by threats of quiting. If you can't pass a physical, you don't belong doing firefighting...period.
Go join the Elks or something.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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I'm sorry, but I believe that becoming a firefighter in this country is a privilege and not a right.
You can champion any reason you would like to massage certain federally mandated policy to achieve whatever end result you would like and the bottom line is: don't stand in line with me and believe for a second that you have more of a right than I do; much less be treated differently.
The problem we have is that, when a problem presents itself, we take a short sighted solution. Case in point; age for instance. If we think that someone is "too old", we create a policy that says a person must retire from the department at age 65, disregarding his/her health, knowledge, commitment and peer respect. So, you get into trouble when the person files an injunctive action so that the courts can review the policy. A more thorough examination of the issue, tempered with sound reasoning and common sense would have produced a policy that would pass any litmus test; legal or otherwise.
There are plenty of firefighters from all genders, races and age groups that would not pass a medical exam, so we restrict our policy to new hires, ignoring the current members who continue to destroy their bodies in all sorts of inventive ways.
We need to stop burying our heads and covering our eyes.
Finding "bodies" to fill rosters is no longer effective from a tactical or a cost standpoint.
Too much is at stake.
We cannot continue as "business as usual".
We must change our mindset, our culture and our plan.
We can do it ourselves or we can wait for our friends in government to do it for us.
Be watching for a blog on this.
There is plenty to be said and to discuss.
Taxpayers have every right to expect good decisions from their elected/appointed officials to manage their tax dollars with sound risk assessment/loss control.
I get a physical exam every year. My company doesn't require it. I do it because it will catch any problems early enough to deal with it. And let's face it; I'd rather pay for a " tune up" than an "engine over haul".
TCSS.
Art
TCSS.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Jake Fireman on
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I understand the "feeling" that many of you seem to be conveying here.
YES it is horrible to have to "let go" someone who has served for so long etc etc etc.
However...sAFETY IS ALWAYS PARAMOUNT.
Safety includes your own health and well being. Unfortunately Chief Turrentine said it himself. His Asst. Chief and others are afraid they will not pass. Sad but it is true.
Do they belong? I dont know. A chief that stays in "house" or admin duties or whatever...It probably depends on their actual duties and what part of the physical exam they are deficient in.
Age in and of it self has nothing to do with it. It is just a number. To say you are too old is a kin to saying you are too white, too black, too hispanic, too female etc etc etc. You just can not make those decisions.
Physicals/medicals are needed. We need to know what condition our crews are in. We need to know that we are as healthy as we can be. Don't just do it for you or your department. Do it for YOU!
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ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh but is it the actual age or what has happened to them over the years? I know a guy who was hired at 56 in a Paid career department...runs circles round the youngins... Maybe i should clarify. What I meant was that age alone should not be the factor as someone mentioned. it is HEALTH...not AGE.
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Permalink Reply by Barbara Nelson on
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Our department does not have budget for physicals. If we did we would. My personal insurance co. pays for complete physicals once every 2 years. I feel that it is important enough to have one at my own exspence. I also encourage the others to so the same. The truth is that you should have them anyway whether you are a fire fighter or not why expect the department to pay for it?
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The truth is that you should have them anyway whether you are a fire fighter or not why expect the department to pay for it?
Because it provides the perfect excuse if you don't want to get one and the department doesn't pay for one anyway.
I pay for mine every year.
TCSS.
Art
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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Liability Barbara, it called reducing your liability. The Fire Service responds to incidents that are hazmats, (even if you are not a hazmat team) Therefore the general population's annual physical is no where near as complete as the NFPA 1582 physical. Nor does yours cost the same. 1582 is about $1200 each. I am sure most here have never had a 12 lead ekg, chest -x-rays, pulmonary function tests, blood work for chem 7 and metals evaluated. These are just some of the tests that are way beyond the usual general wellness or DOT physical for a commercial truck driver, why because they are things in which the fire service gets exposed to and these tests increases the chance of finding them in the early stages.
Plus without offering any physical your department is non-compliant in the aspect of respiratory protection and essentially should be an exterior attack only fire department.
Sad to say, but if and when a brother/sister drops wearing an airpack, someone in that organization will eventually see the light.... $$$$$$$ from the fines and the lawsuits, and then money will be found to mandate the medical physicals.
Sad part is sometimes the one's holding the process back are the one's who are afraid of their test results... hence the reason for the original post.
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We do have a physical when we join.
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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Well I just have to stir the pot. MSN is reporting that Michael Jackson died today of a heart attack induced cardiac arrest. While that in itself doesn't have anything to do with this discussion, a quote from the story does.
"There were concerns about Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors." I am presuming that a 4 1/2 hr physical would probably include some basic blood work and an EKG.
My point being; Pop singers, marathon runners, college and professional athletes all get physicals, and guess what? They still have, and die of heart attacks. Physicals are not the miracle cure.
What constitutes a "medical exam"? I had a part-time job doing "medical exams" for insurance qualification. This exam consisted of a brief questionnaire, vital signs and blood draws, taking 30 minutes at the most. I'm not sure the insurance company ever denied coverage based on my exams. They might have increased the premiums a little. But in my opinion, these exams were bogus. They were to cover the company's butt.
I just don't see an insurance company spending thousands of dollars per member to do a complete, ( 1-2 day) physical exam. More likely, similar to the ones I used to do which will not detect much. It's to cover their butt. You have high blood pressure... you are a little overweight... we are going to charge a higher premium. Disqualify them from coverage or tell them they are not fit for the job... ain't happening. If they have the big one later, the insurance company might deny the claim based on the fact, "we told them to loose weight or take meds for blood pressure, and they didn't. But they will collect the premiums until that time, because that is how they make money.
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