Physicals

[hooknladder]

Does your membership have to submit to a regular physical exam? What does it entail? Is it state mandated? and How often do they need one? What fdo you do if someone fails it? What guidelines do you adhere to to determine level of health? Finally - who pays for it? Your Department or your municipality (meaning not taken out of your operating budget?

[Fire Capt]

My dept mandates physicals every year for all FD personnel, including, (supposedly) "them"....(the Ivory Tower)..

The physical consists of a 5 or 6 page questionnaire about you name it, family hx, personal habits ( I always refuse to fill out the part about self gratification--I just add a note that says "I'm married--whattya think?"), just anything health related...

We receive bicycle treadmills and visit with an old doc whose favorite hard hitting health investigational evaluations include the questions, " Are ya in good health?", and "Is them all your teeth?".

I kid you not....

Any abnormal heart rythms, which we have the same guys every year, my Engineer included, are pulled offline immediately and referred to a local caridological office at their own personal expense until said cardiologists evaluate the rythms and clear or not the FF to return to duty...

But the dept pays for it all, up to any refreeals to cardiologists...The males can also recive a free PSA test...

But this coming year, we are supposedly contracted to a different physcial exam company who gives you all the results instantaneously, rather than us having to wait for everything to come back, about 2 months, rom the OTHER company...

[Lucky 13]

We are required to receive a yearly blood draw/physical that is paid for by the county and done through Tuoemy Hospital's "Industrial Medicine" clinic. It consists of a battery of tests including sight, hearing, lung capacity, muscular strength, etc. After that is completed you get a lookover from a physician. I've seen people have to turn in their gear because they did not get their physical accomplished by the deadline.

Now as far as the guidelines that constitue what might hold someone back? I don't know. I've never delved that deeply behind the scenes. I would imagine (or rather I would hope) that there is an SOG/P that outlines what minimum "levels" are required in each area. I'm also not sure what happens if someone "fails" a physical, but I would imagine that it would need to be handled on a case by case basis. I'll have to right this down as a question to be asked.

Good topic Jen.

[cwl3gemt]

We have never been subjected to having a physical done. we are now being forced to do that for the ambulance with the grant. AFG vehicle grants are now making oyu have a phisical done if you are going to drive the vehicle provided with grant money. The jury is still out on what phisical we have to do, because the Feds dont say if it needs to be DOT, or a Sports phisical. they just say A Phisical.

[94onair]

We have a physical done every year that used to be done by the people from S.O.R.T. but now it is going to be privately done i think. typical blood work, urine sample, breathing test, eye exam. all that good stuff, turn your head and cough. luckily im not old enough yet where they tell me to drop trow and bend over.

[utfd701]

Hey Chris, I got bad news for ya:

For the purposes of the Vehicle Acquisition Program (Fire or EMS ), what do you mean by a comprehensive driver training program?
A comprehensive driver training program includes not only instruction on driving and/or operating a particular vehicle, but would also include instruction on appropriate preventative maintenance (per NFPA 1002) and medical clearance of any drivers (per NFPA 1582 ).

The above is taken from the AFG, FAQ section for 2007 awards (which I believe is the case with you and Chief Jen as well).
Here is the link:http://www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/...q_vehi.aspx#q3

1582 compliant physicals can get VERY pricey from what I understand.

[cwl3gemt]

from what our president has been told by our Fed. Rep, is that it has to be a phisical, and that she couldnt tell him what kind because all it says is phisical. We already have the Emergency Vehicle Operator Course set up, and we are just dealing with the phisical part now.

[utfd701]

Make sure you CYA on that, get the reps name and pertinent info just in case DHS pulls you for audit.

[cwl3gemt]

believe me dave, we have all that.

[sc_flametamer]

We require all interior certified members to pass a OSHA Fire Brigade physical. Other than hazmat techs, who have to be tested every year, you are tested once until age 30, once every three years from 30 - 40, and every year after that.