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Florida Union Opposes Drug Tests And Physical Exams
St. Petersburg Times
When people call 9-1-1 for help, they expect emergency responders to be physically and mentally ready to perform all tasks the call requires. But when it comes to St. Petersburg firefighters, residents may wonder. The fire union opposes Mayor Bill Foster's demand that firefighters submit to random drug tests and yearly physical exams. Those are reasonable requirements that would be in the best interest of firefighters and the public.
The issue is preventing the union and city from reaching accord on a new contract, with only days remaining on the current contract. Foster said firefighters shouldn't fear the drug testing "unless they have something to hide." He wants the physicals done to ensure that firefighters won't "stroke out" during a rescue or while fighting a fire. St. Petersburg police agreed to the both drug testing and physicals.
The city's current fire union contract allows drug testing only when supervisors see signs the employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. But those aren't always easy to see. And it is important that firefighter/paramedics, who have access to powerful drugs at work, know they could be tested at any point.
The current union contract also provides for mandatory physicals, but firefighters have found a way to avoid them. They refuse to sign the release of liability that medical providers now require any time they are going to disseminate patient information. City officials say they don't get employees' medical information, just a notice that the firefighter is or isn't fit for duty. But doctors have refused to perform the exams when patients won't sign the form.
And an arbitrator ruled the city can't discipline firefighters who won't sign, thus providing a loophole for those who want to avoid exams.
A union official said firefighters are suspicious the city could obtain medical information to use against them in workers' compensation cases.
The union's concerns can be overcome. They don't trump the need to ensure that firefighters, for their own sake and the public's, are fit for the job. And city firefighters should not be treated differently from police officers.
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St. Petersburg firefighters should have drug tests and physicals
Copyright 2010 Times Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved
September 27, 2010
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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For me, all a drug test can do is wreck my life and career with a false positive.
And how often does this happen?
In my experience (on the indutrial sites I work), I've never yet heard of a false positive occurring. (Not saying it doesn't, I just haven't heard of it yet).
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Permalink Reply by M.J. 6821 on
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If you have a CDL your name gets put in a pool for random drug tests, if there is a positive from a urine test they give you a second test. And the second test is a blood test.
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Thus eliminating false positives.
This is becoming the norm in industry now, not the exception.
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Let me ask you Vic how would you feel if you found out that the driver/engineer whatever you call them on your department is operating under the influence of drugs? Wouldnt you want to know for sure that guys that you are going interior with or riding in a vehicle with arent drug users?
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Permalink Reply by Fabulous Heather Days of Summer on
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Tim, the post that I put up from HHS on the first page of this discussion is actually the 504 LAW. It describes how the employer is also responsible to make accommodations as required under the U.S. Federal ADA Laws to help employees with disabilities - including drug addiction and heart disease.
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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So a fire department has to accomodate an alcoholic, drug addict or someone with heart disease? Really? Okay wait, we're not talking about paid departments, are we?
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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on
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I don't have statistics on false positives, but the grad work I did in toxicology tells me it's not hard to have a false positive happen. Hell, even the Mythbusters did a show about it. How often does it need to happen to make it a problem? How many innocent people need to be ruined before it matters. I hate the idea that I need to constantly prove my innocence.
If you think about it: the number of false positives reported will always be zero. Anyone who tests positive and protests their innocence is assumed to be lying, so it isn't a false positive. Often it's easier to "admit" you are an addict and seek treatment for a disease you don't have so you can keep your job - once again, the system works!
There is nothing about drug testing that will change my behaviour, as I do not do drugs or associate with anyone (to the best of my knowledge) who is involved with drugs. I see no way this benefits me other than invading the most personal aspects of my privacy.
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Let me ask you M.J. how would you feel if your driver/engineer was drunk or hung over? Alcohol is far and away the most commonly used and abused drug in the US, and these random tests do nothing to combat it's abuse.
The thing drug testing is best at discovering is marijuana use. Pot metabolites are sequestered in your fat cells and can show up over a month after you've stopped using if you were a heavy user. Drug tests are not so good at picking up cocaine and opiates, because these drugs pass through in a few days. Drug tests do not detect alcohol abuse, fatigue, suicidal feelings, spouse abuse, corruption, schizophrenia, atheism or a host of other things that may actually impact your ability to do the job more than smoking the occasional bit of marijuana on the weekend.
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You are using a poor example since it isnt a false positive there is opiate in the urine since there are opiates in poppy seed.
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Vic,
Unless one is some kind of religious cleric I fail to see how atheism would impact a person's ability to perform their job.
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So when you eat the wrong breakfast and end up unemployed, you can take solace in the fact that the science was technically correct.
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