FD Medical program question

[ullrichk]

My department is beginning a wellness program, ostensibly following guidelines in NFPA 1500, that is being paid for with Fire Act grant money.

What do departments do (or what should they do if they aren't doing the right thing) with members who have class A medical conditions which should exclude them from firefighting operations?

[Smoke20286]

The IAFF is promoting the Wellness and Fitness initiative, which our Dept. has adopted. Check it out

[ullrichk]

A happy aside to our predicament:

One of our firefighters was diagnosed with a significant blockage during his treadmill test. Significantly, he was completely asymptomatic during the test. He was a LODD getting ready to happen.

He's having a heart cath. today and should know more soon. IMO, our wellness program has already paid for itself.

[Engine5FF]

Our wellness program was set up by one of the local hospitals here. Unfortunately, it has fizzled out over the last three or four years due mostly to a lack of incentive and direction. Several of our employees do utilize the work-out equipment in house or have local gym memberships, but not everyone. I don't usually work out at work but I have a home gym that I use on a regular basis (Bowflex, I love it). I think the primary thing you need to have a successful wellness program is to have someone in charge of it that has the power and expertise to make it work. It shouldn't just be the chief's responsibility, it's up to all the supervisors to see the staff is in proper health to do their jobs. Unfortunately we are lacking a little in that area.

I'm glad your FF with the bad ticker was found out before a tragedy occurred.

[L1tilr]

Originally posted by ullrichk
A happy aside to our predicament:

He's having a heart cath. today and should know more soon. IMO, our wellness program has already paid for itself.

I wouldn't mind seeing an update on this guy and how it's being handled by the municipality.

My first thought was that if they had to deal with this as a work related illness, our city would cut the wellness program.

[ullrichk]

We're up to one stent, one triple-bypass, one previously undiagnosed diabetic, and one individual whose problems have yet to be sorted out but which appear to be related to arterial blockages in the legs. One individual who underwent more rigorous cardiac testing was ultimately cleared. (Add to the list one case of macrocitic anemia - essentially alcohol poisoning of the bone marrow.)

None of these conditions are presumed work related under Tennessee law, but any could have resulted in a LODD - and you can't tell me the bean counters would have liked that result either. The triple-bypass patient was, I am told, on the short list for the NFFF memorial for this year.

All fire department personnel have been given a fitness prescription (strength, cardio, flexibility routines) by health and human performance professionals and all will be required to participate.

There is not likely to be any move to retire on disability anyone based on any condition. (We currently have two bypass survivors on line duty and the third is likely to return in two months.) It still makes me wonder what the city's liability is in letting individuals continue to fight fires when they are known to have these conditions.