Comments on: Are firefighters becoming too fat? http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Reality Roundshttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90602 Reality Rounds Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:45:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90602 I do not remember a nurse with no arms on South Park. Is anonymous confusing this with South Park's "Nurse Gollum" who had the absorbed twin attached to her face (conjoined fetus lady)"? God, I love South Park! I do not remember a nurse with no arms on South Park. Is anonymous confusing this with South Park’s “Nurse Gollum” who had the absorbed twin attached to her face (conjoined fetus lady)”? God, I love South Park!

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90596 Anonymous Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:19:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90596 I have seen numerous EMS and FD personnel that are ridiculously morbidly obese. I understand that muscular people are "overweight" but that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about people that are waddling behind the stretcher they are pushing and being ridiculously SOB while giving report. This should NOT be allowed! I have seen numerous EMS and FD personnel that are ridiculously morbidly obese. I understand that muscular people are “overweight” but that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about people that are waddling behind the stretcher they are pushing and being ridiculously SOB while giving report. This should NOT be allowed!

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90594 Anonymous Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:22:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90594 "It is the same as a surgeon with no arms."<br/><br/>That reminds me of a Southpark episode in which there was a nurse with no arms “It is the same as a surgeon with no arms.”

That reminds me of a Southpark episode in which there was a nurse with no arms

]]> By: The Happy Hospitalisthttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90592 The Happy Hospitalist Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:49:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90592 reality rounds, being so obese as a cop or a fire fighter that you can't do the duties your job requires is the same as a blind pilot with a seizure disorder flying you home. It is the same as a surgeon with no arms.<br/><br/>If you're too fat or too skinny or too stupid to do the duties required in your job, you should be fired. reality rounds, being so obese as a cop or a fire fighter that you can’t do the duties your job requires is the same as a blind pilot with a seizure disorder flying you home. It is the same as a surgeon with no arms.

If you’re too fat or too skinny or too stupid to do the duties required in your job, you should be fired.

]]> By: Chuck Brookshttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90588 Chuck Brooks Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:00:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90588 Maybe these applicants were the overflow from the police departments' doughnut beats.<br/>Chuck Brooks<br/>FutureWare SCG Maybe these applicants were the overflow from the police departments’ doughnut beats.
Chuck Brooks
FutureWare SCG

]]> By: Reality Roundshttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90584 Reality Rounds Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:22:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90584 Any job that requires physical fitness as part of the job requirement, should require a physical endurance test. It is not asking to much. "I certainly wouldn't want a blind pilot with a seizure disorder flying my plane home from vacation." That is a bit of a ridiculous comparison. Comparing a blind pilot to an overweight fireman, who may be in great shape otherwise? Puh-leese!<br/>Should we be measuring the BMI of cardiac surgeons before they can operate? Plenty of health care professionals smoke, drink and take crap care of themselves. Should they be subject to physical fitness tests before caring for patients? Any job that requires physical fitness as part of the job requirement, should require a physical endurance test. It is not asking to much. “I certainly wouldn’t want a blind pilot with a seizure disorder flying my plane home from vacation.” That is a bit of a ridiculous comparison. Comparing a blind pilot to an overweight fireman, who may be in great shape otherwise? Puh-leese!
Should we be measuring the BMI of cardiac surgeons before they can operate? Plenty of health care professionals smoke, drink and take crap care of themselves. Should they be subject to physical fitness tests before caring for patients?

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90582 Anonymous Sun, 29 Mar 2009 05:26:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90582 Firfighters, next to prison guards, are a drain on the taxpayer. What a scam, 95% of the time work consists of sleeping, eating, watching TV, or working out. Do that for 20 years then retire on the taxpayer or get some type of bogus disability and do it even sooner. They are good at one thing though and that is in the ublic policy realm where they have everyone believing that they are so essential and their services and taxpayer dole should never be shorted.<br/><br/>From a former firefighter that after a year couldn't stand the boredom and grown men that were still on a high school sophomore maturity level. Firfighters, next to prison guards, are a drain on the taxpayer. What a scam, 95% of the time work consists of sleeping, eating, watching TV, or working out. Do that for 20 years then retire on the taxpayer or get some type of bogus disability and do it even sooner. They are good at one thing though and that is in the ublic policy realm where they have everyone believing that they are so essential and their services and taxpayer dole should never be shorted.

From a former firefighter that after a year couldn’t stand the boredom and grown men that were still on a high school sophomore maturity level.

]]> By: The Happy Hospitalisthttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90581 The Happy Hospitalist Sun, 29 Mar 2009 01:42:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90581 there is currently a case in a midwestern city where a firefighter or cop (i'm not sure) was fired for being so obese he couldn't do the duties his job required.<br/><br/>He sued and the city is planning on hiring him back. <br/><br/>I certainly wouldn't want a blind pilot with a seizure disorder flying my plane home from vacation. there is currently a case in a midwestern city where a firefighter or cop (i’m not sure) was fired for being so obese he couldn’t do the duties his job required.

He sued and the city is planning on hiring him back.

I certainly wouldn’t want a blind pilot with a seizure disorder flying my plane home from vacation.

]]> By: Ambulance Driverhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90580 Ambulance Driver Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:42:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90580 Okay, so the *recruits* were obese or failed the physical conditioning test.<br/><br/>But did they actually make it through the hiring process?<br/><br/>I am more than passingly familiar with a number of fire and EMS systems around the country. Virtually every major fire department with which I am familiar requires the recruit pass a rather rigorous physical conditioning test. Not every FD academy graduate (for those departments that have formal academies) actually passes that test, which is as it should be. It's designed to weed out those that are not physically fit before they get assigned to an engine company.<br/><br/>Virtually every *new* firefighter or cop you will meet is physically fit. It's the ones who have been on the job for a while who are woefully out of shape.<br/><br/>The pre-employment physical agility test is rigorous. What they need to do is require that it be passed by *every* firefighter, EMT or cop, *every* year.<br/><br/>FYI - at 278 pounds and 6'2", I am classified as morbidly obese, yet I have had no problems passing a fairly strenuous cardiovascular conditioning test and lifting test, a number of times over the past ten years. Okay, so the *recruits* were obese or failed the physical conditioning test.

But did they actually make it through the hiring process?

I am more than passingly familiar with a number of fire and EMS systems around the country. Virtually every major fire department with which I am familiar requires the recruit pass a rather rigorous physical conditioning test. Not every FD academy graduate (for those departments that have formal academies) actually passes that test, which is as it should be. It’s designed to weed out those that are not physically fit before they get assigned to an engine company.

Virtually every *new* firefighter or cop you will meet is physically fit. It’s the ones who have been on the job for a while who are woefully out of shape.

The pre-employment physical agility test is rigorous. What they need to do is require that it be passed by *every* firefighter, EMT or cop, *every* year.

FYI – at 278 pounds and 6’2″, I am classified as morbidly obese, yet I have had no problems passing a fairly strenuous cardiovascular conditioning test and lifting test, a number of times over the past ten years.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90579 Anonymous Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:26:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/are-firefighters-becoming-too-fat.html#comment-90579 I would note that almost any male with a muscular build is overweight, according to the current BMI standards. It gives one pause to think that a 5'7" female and 5'7" male are expected to fall within the same healthy BMI parameters. I would suspect that the better firefighters are more muscular than the average population. Thus, I would put less weight on the "overweight" category. Overweight and obese are, in my opinion, two very different things. I would note that almost any male with a muscular build is overweight, according to the current BMI standards. It gives one pause to think that a 5’7″ female and 5’7″ male are expected to fall within the same healthy BMI parameters. I would suspect that the better firefighters are more muscular than the average population. Thus, I would put less weight on the “overweight” category. Overweight and obese are, in my opinion, two very different things.

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