Fitness stuff

[Weruj1]

A late breaking story from Northwood, Ohio.......they are reporting that the State of Ohio is considering making a law to get fit tested, a physical, and physical agility testing done yearly ? they have downloaded it and hopefully '77 can tell us where he got it as I have forgen what he told me this am ................anyone else got the dizzle ?>

[ff7134]

Well thats news....something that has been a long time coming.

[WTFD10]

Nothing listed about this on either the Ohio Firefighters Assn. or the Ohio Fire Chiefs Assn. websites.

I don't see this happening. The IAFF for one would not stand for it. Many volunteer departments could not afford the physicals and fit tests every year either.

I'm all for it. I need a strict motivator to get in better shape :o

[Weruj1]

Moe,
ME TOO !!!!!!!!! I am sure once '77 gets settled in at his "real" job and can turn his efforts here he will be a postin !

[WTFD10]

Found it:

http://www.oapff.com/4121-1-21-02%20_clean_.pdf

Annual physical and fit testing? YES

Annual physical agility testing? Couldn't find anything about that.

Ohio Administrative Code 4121:1-21-02 Personal protective equipment and clothing for structural fire fighting

(O) Respiratory Protection

(3) All members who might be required to use respiratory protection equipment shall be medically certified by a physician on an annual basis.

(4) The facepiece seal capability of each member qualified to use SCBA shall be verified by qualitative fit testing on an annual basis and whenever new types of SCBA or facepieces are issued. Each new member shall be tested before being permitted to use SCBA in a hazardous atmosphere. Only members with a proper fitting facepiece shall be permitted by the fire department to function in a hazardous atmosphere with SCBA

[WTFD10]

http://www.oapff.com/4121-1-21-07%20_clean_.pdf

Doesn't say specificaly that physical agility testing is required.

However:

Ohio Administrative Code 4121-1-21-07 Fire department occupational safety and health

(E) Employee fitness

(1) The employer shall establish and provide a health- related fitness and wellness program that enables members to develop and maintain a level of health and fitness to safely perform their assigned functions.

(2) It shall be the responsibility of all employees to actively participate in the fitness and wellness program.

[Weruj1]

Moe,
Thats the one ................now I 'member.........

[firenresq77]

Sorry I didn't get in here earlier. Some of us actually have to WORK!! :D :p

Yes, that was the site. I know our Chief printed everything off and made up some 3-ring binders for them. I think he made like 6 for us (2 for each station, 1 each for him and the EMS Chief. I still have yet to look through everything. The only stuff I really looked at was the SCBA fit testing and annual medical eval for SCBA and then the section Moe posted about the wellness program.

I never actually saw the part about the yearly physical agility testing. That came from our Asst. District Chief. He said they saw it when they were in the Chief's office taliking about it. I doubt if I'll get a chance to look through it tonight, but if I find the section, I will let you know.

This could make it very interesting for us here in OH. I'm not opposed to it, but I know there will be many places that are adversely affected (personnel wise). I think it may be good for everyone in the long run, but will wait to form my opinion until I have read through it all. (Which will probably take awhile, because I know it has many many pages)

I urge everyone to look at the links, because you will be affected by the changes, most likely. How's everyone else feel about what they have read???

[PFD109NFD107]

It's the states new "Green Book". It was actually effective 11/1/2003 but the books weren't distributed until recently.

You can find them in the OAC 4123:1-21

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by firenresq77
How's everyone else feel about what they have read???

Like I stated earlier, I think this is a good thing in principle. It forces those of us who need it to get in better shape (and those of you who know me know I definitely need it :o ) or risk being unable to continue as firefighters.

However, this is a textbook case of an unfunded mandate. Departments must come up with the money for physicals and fit tests (or the equipment needed to do them in house) and the burden of establishing a fitness program is clearly on the employer. This could mean purchasing exercise equipment or memberships for all firefighters at a local gym.

Oh and before anyone tries the "we're not employees, we're volunteers" argument, read the second paragraph of this: http://www.oapff.com/4121-1-21-01%20_clean_.pdf

[lmrchief2]

It's not the fit test that cost that much it is the physicals that cost. Ours cost about $225 per person and we are not really doing everything we should but we are trying. We do ours yearly for all employees.

Hey Moe I see your probably on the treadmill already don't hurt yourself. Trust me I jumped on the stair stepper the other day and can still hardly walk:eek:

[firenresq77]

It's not the fit test that cost that much it is the physicals that cost. Ours cost about $225 per person and we are not really doing everything we should but we are trying. We do ours yearly for all employees.

I believe we are going to look into getting the equipment to do our own fit tests. As far as the physicals go, I'm not sure if it's going to be required as a full physical, or if they may just do the respiratory part. I can't remember what it's called, but you have to blow into a tube for a certain amount of time and at a certain force

[lmrchief2]

Pulmoanary Function test. My suggestion is when you start doing the physicals make sure the clinic you use will be there for a while. We started our physicals many years ago. We started out useing a clinic that went out of business 2 years later. All the paperwork is MIA at this point nobody knows where it is. We then started useing the hospital clinic. That worked good for us till the budget crunch time. We tried useing a private physicain and that was another nightmare. I decided after the first clinic went out on us it was a must that as an employer I must recieve a copy of the physical for our records. The physician after doing all of our physicals then wanted to do the $10.00 per record thing on top of the cost of the physical.

We are know back at the Hospital clinic where we will stay. As long as I can help it anyway. I have seen where companies will come in and do your physical for you I am not real sure on those. It is a warm fuzzy feeling for me if I have to send one of my guys (and I hope I never have to do that) to know that all there records are accessable by the hospital staff. Especially since we only have the one hospital in the county.

My point after all the babbal is this. Try to keep cost down but watch what you are paying for and make sure it will work for you.

[firenresq77]

I know our physicals are pretty thorough. I believe they are coparable to the one recommended by NFPA. We have them done by a company called Occupational Care Consultants. They are the Occu health for our city. We used to utilize a Hospital based Occuhealth, but I think they changed due to the cost. Plus, OCC has people on call if we need to come in for something on afterwards (or we can utilize the local ER).

[firenresq77]

OK, this stuff is part of the Ohio Administrative Code. What's the difference between the OAC the Ohio Revised Code, and is the OAC law????

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by firenresq77
OK, this stuff is part of the Ohio Administrative Code. What's the difference between the OAC the Ohio Revised Code, and is the OAC law????

Good question! Here's what I found:

http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/infosrv/lue/sowk/swprimary.html

Listed below are the three primary Types of Law with some accompanying examples:

Statutory Law:

Constitutions and Statutes/Laws passed by Congress. Bills are introduced and voted on in both houses of Congress. If a bill is passed, it becomes a public law. Current U.S. statutory law is codified (arranged by subject) in the U.S. Code. Current Ohio statutory law is codified (arranged by subject) in the Baldwin's Ohio Revised Code Annotated

Case Law/Decisions of the Courts:

The decisions of courts and administrative bodies. Courts interpret statutory and administrative law. Case Law comes from a variety of courts. We're probably most familiar with the opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court, and have heard of such cases as Roe vs. Wade or Brown vs. the Board of Education.

Administrative Law/Regulations:
The rules and regulations promulgated by government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) & Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Regulations are published chronologically in the Federal Register, which is issued every business day. The same regulations are then published in a more accessible format arranged by issuing agency and subject, in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Current Ohio Administrative Regulations are published in the Ohio Administrative Code.



So yes, Ohio Administrative Code is law. It is in the same category as OSHA or EPA regulations. Basically, the difference is these laws are issued by a government agency and not passed by a legislative body.

[firenresq77]

Thanks, Moe...... You are an internet searching machine!

[WTFD10]

I wish I had stock in Google.

I was wondering the same thing myself so I was already looking it up when I saw your question.

[firenresq77]

Originally posted by WTFD10


I was wondering the same thing myself so I was already looking it up when I saw your question.

So what am I thinking now????????

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by firenresq77


So what am I thinking now????????

I'm not that good ;)

[lmrchief2]

Moe you were busy reading my Fire Officer II books when I forgot them in here weren't you:D

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by lmrchief2
Moe you were busy reading my Fire Officer II books when I forgot them in here weren't you:D

Brother, I gotta do something to try and stay awake ;)

Think the boss will let us put a treadmill in the tower?

[lmrchief2]

Dress warm tonight brother the door is broke and it is cold in here. I may have a temp fix for you by the time you get here.

Hey better yet you can start your physical training by running around the office to keep warm:D

[WTFD10]

*cough cough* I'm suddenly feeling very ill...you better get ready to work a double *cough cough*

[ff7134]

We have all personnel get a physical then the HAZMAT Team get a much more in depth. Those people get only the HAZMAT which is ....to say the least is long.

As for the Fit test....all the County departments went together and bought a Fit Test machine then we just schedule it out by contacting the EMA and go pick it up. Thats just a thought.

[Fitguy51]

My FD here in NYS has been doing physicals since 1993. That is how long it has been in the NFPA standard. They call for under 30 every 3 years, under 40 every 2 years, and over 40 every year. For the last 3-4 years they have added a treadmill test. These tests are being done a Dr. that deals in Occupational testing.

[engine1321]

OSHA requires physicals and fit testing annually in the respiratory standard.

Making it law is just repeating a Federal codified law.

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by engine1321
OSHA requires physicals and fit testing annually in the respiratory standard.

Making it law is just repeating a Federal codified law.

That's correct. Since Ohio is not an OSHA state, Federal OSHA rules don't apply to municipalities, only private industry.

The BWC pretty much copied all of these rules from either OSHA or NFPA 1500.