A Double Bypass, Is IT or Is Not a Career Ender?

We have a 40 yr old FF that just had a double by pass operation. He was 50% on one and 90% on another one at the heart. We have NO lite duty in the city so what do you all think his options might be. He is physically in shape and does not smoke so its more of what he was eating and stress from the job that may have brought this on. Just like to hear some input on this. I figure he is probably going to be done but hate to see it.

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Permalink Reply by Steven on July 1, 2009 at 2:31pm

It's really up to his personal physician and whatever protocols the department has in place for physical fitness requirements.

If the docs say he's good to go and he meets all the fitness, then go ahead.

If he can't continue in his current position, there might be another job out there in a related field or in another department with different requirements. Paramedic? Exterior firefighting ops, etc. Lateral transfer to a driver position or something that doesn't always require interior firefighting. Tech rescue?

I get a department physical every two years, a yearly physical with my physician and see my cardiologist twice a year. I've got a prosthetic tricuspid valve and I just do exterior firefighting and EMS. My cardiologist says the more physically active I can be, the better it is for me.

Bottom line is, it's only a career-ender of the docs say it is based on a specific medical history. If he leads a healthy and active lifestyle and this was "just one of those random things," then it shouldn't get in his way. If department policy is etched in stone with no flexibility, he should get full disability or some other form of medical retirement.

In my less-than-humble opinion at least. Good luck to him.

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Permalink Reply by R. Ann Balmer on July 2, 2009 at 1:56pm

Find lite duty jobs for him, if you realy looked at every thing you do you will see his job. Put your self in his place what would you feel? Talk to him and the family. Get promision to talk to his doctor about their idas and your ideas and don't forget him because he is down, it will just keep him down.They can be a big help. Let him try. If you take a fire fighter away from fire fighting all togather it keeps them from recovering sooner then later. Example I had cancer and was unable to fight fire the department didn't have lite duty ether, my cheif found things, I helped by doing research for all kinds of things. Preplaning, Teaching at the local schools, Organizing records, Fund rasing planner, taking notes at meetings, refilling SCBA. The point is he is still valued by you and the department, and he goes at his speed of healing and maybe makes a full come back. After illness hits a person starts looking at ways to stay healther. Maybe you can have him setup a health, and pervention program and run it. Who berrter to leaqrn from then someonr that has been there do that!

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Permalink Reply by Cody W. Nelson on July 2, 2009 at 8:11pm

We had a 27 year old that had a quad and he's back on the job. I think that has to be a personnal decision that he will have to make with his family and his cardiologist.

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Permalink Reply by St Wood on July 2, 2009 at 9:56pm

Thanks everyone for your replies, He is doing real good and according to the chief he is probably going to get to come back since he is so healthy. It will just take awhile.

A Double Bypass, Is IT or Is Not a Career Ender?

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