drivers with impairments

[jakebty]

i hate to play this "card" (it has been called this) in these threads, but I am a diabetic, type 1, 15 years old. On the firehouse Apparatus response and operations page, it says "cannot have diabetes that is controlled by insulin". Most forms of diabetes are controlled by insulin. I am not complaining about this "policy", just questioning it. why would they say this? insurance reasons? what? thanks

[BirkenVogt]

Usually it is a requirement of the state DMV to get the class of license you will need to drive a truck. I know it is here. You also have to have two good eyes to drive a truck in Ca, one will not do.

Birken

[jakebty]

i believe that's the way it is everywhere. do you drive a truck?

[BirkenVogt]

In this state you have to get a license that is pretty close to commercial to operate a fire truck.

I know a dozer operator who is a non-insulin dependent diabetic but he is always right on the edge, he tries hard to stay in shape because if he becomes insulin dependent, he will not be able to haul his own equipment any more.

Birken

[baileydonk]

You also have to have two good eyes to drive a truck in Ca, one will not do.

Really?? Good! I am a volunteer firefighter, and all the volunteers are being pressured to get their Class B and become driver/operaters. We need more drivers, definitely, but I have one legally blind eye and thus no depth perception, and so I have told the Chief that I will not learn to drive the engine, period. I believe it would be unethical, whether or not the DMV approved (and if the DMV would approve me, that should be changed). I have still felt a bit of pressure, people implying that I'm just being wimpy not wanting to drive...

I try to explain to them this way: Give me a ten-foot ladder and have me carry it through your house. I will hit every damned wall in your house. Then if you still want me to learn to drive a fire engine, I will officially call you an idiot.

BirkenVogt, can you give me more information on California's policy on this?

Sharon

[Dave1983]

i believe that's the way it is everywhere. do you drive a truck?

Not here. Ever heard of ADA?

[jakebty]

Which one? American Dental Assoc.? Americans with Diabetes? Americans with Disabilities? this is a very broad topic.


thanks for correcting me.

[SWLAFireDawg]

I would imagine the policy is in reference to the possibilty of a medical condition which may result from inadequate insulin regulation.

Have you ever seen a Hyperglycemic driver.....you'd swear he/she was drunk.

[nmfire]

I would imagine the policy is in reference to the possibilty of a medical condition which may result from inadequate insulin regulation.

Have you ever seen a Hyperglycemic driver.....you'd swear he/she was drunk.

I hope you mean hypoglycemic.

[SWLAFireDawg]

I hope you mean hypoglycemic.

Actually I did. I do get the two confused, and that is why at the EMT:First Responder level of training in my area we treat the two on scene the same way...give glucose and get them to a medical facility.

I went back and double checked just to be sure.

Although, I have been told both forms can produce actions which resemble drunk driving.

Good catch MMFIRE!

[DeputyMarshal]

Not here. Ever heard of ADA?

ADA has no bearing whatsoever on critical job requirements.

[nmfire]

Well, half right.

You can bank on not causing a bigger problem by giving someone glutcose. If their sugar is low, it will definately help. If their sugar is high, it wont' make a difference in anything good or bad. For the purpose of demonstration, lets set a baseline normal blood sugar of 100.

If a persons blood sugar drops, in general, to less than 60, they will start showing the classic hypoglycemia symptoms. Less than 50 and things start getting worse. Less than 40 and they are on another planet. It takes only a matter of hours at the most for this to happen and all it takse one mistake in how you manage your diabetes.

On the other end of the scale, you can push your blood sugar up several hundred higher (like 300+) and remain that way for days or weeks before symptoms start showing. The symptoms are very different; they start small and end big. Dehydration, shortness of breath, weakness, and eventually coma occur of a long period of time. The mental effects that you get with low blood sugar are not part of it.

[jakebty]

Well, half right.

You can bank on not causing a bigger problem by giving someone glutcose. If their sugar is low, it will definately help. If their sugar is high, it wont' make a difference in anything good or bad. For the purpose of demonstration, lets set a baseline normal blood sugar of 100.

If a persons blood sugar drops, in general, to less than 60, they will start showing the classic hypoglycemia symptoms. Less than 50 and things start getting worse. Less than 40 and they are on another planet. It takes only a matter of hours at the most for this to happen and all it takse one mistake in how you manage your diabetes.

On the other end of the scale, you can push your blood sugar up several hundred higher (like 300+) and remain that way for days or weeks before symptoms start showing. The symptoms are very different; they start small and end big. Dehydration, shortness of breath, weakness, and eventually coma occur of a long period of time. The mental effects that you get with low blood sugar are not part of it.

i manage my diabetes very well. i've been diabetic type 1 for almost 4 years. my blood sugar was in the high 200's for along time, but it's under control now. my reasons for asking these questions is that i want to know what my capabilities are as an FF if i make it that far. i am joining the FD here as a cadet in about a month, after i get my driver's license. i just want to see what i can do, and what people think about it.

[dday05]

i manage my diabetes very well. i've been diabetic type 1 for almost 4 years. my blood sugar was in the high 200's for along time, but it's under control now. my reasons for asking these questions is that i want to know what my capabilities are as an FF if i make it that far. i am joining the FD here as a cadet in about a month, after i get my driver's license. i just want to see what i can do, and what people think about it.

I'd say at your age you won't be driving the firetrucks anytime soon. A guy on my shift is a diabetic and manages very well.

[jakebty]

well i know that.....just like i said..what if's/ questions about it in the future/ future info...that's all it is

[CaptOldTimer]

Being a diabetic, type 1 at 15 years of age has nothing to do with driving fire apparatus.

Being a 15 year old DOES! The medical problems can be taken care of.

At this age you have no business driving anything that resembles a piece of fire apparatus. Most departments do not allow 15 year old on fire apparatus period. A minimum of being 18 is usually required to be able to ride on apparatus. I don’t think that an 18 year old or a 15 year old has had the experience in driving a large truck.

I may have been an exception to this as when I learned to drive; it was on a 1950 ford truck used to haul fallen timber out of the woods to the mill. But I didn’t drive a fire truck with firefighters on it to a fire call, until I came on the job, served my one year probation and that was when I was 23 years old.