Module 3: Health and Safety - IAFF
Module 3: Health and Safety - IAFF
Module 3: Health and Safety - IAFF
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Student Text <strong>IAFF</strong> Training for Hazardous Materials: Technician©<br />
Physician Qualifications<br />
The fire department physician must be chosen with care. The fire department is involved with<br />
the health, wellness, fitness <strong>and</strong> safety of uniformed personnel from the beginning of their careers<br />
(c<strong>and</strong>idate evaluations), throughout their careers (annual health/fitness evaluations), during<br />
injury/illness (referrals, rehabilitation, counseling, <strong>and</strong> reevaluations), at retirement from active<br />
duty (retirement evaluations), <strong>and</strong>, in many jurisdictions, during their retirement years.<br />
Ideally, this professional should be board certified in occupational medicine, internal medicine,<br />
or family medicine. The fire department would also benefit from physicians specializing in<br />
fields relevant to the fire service such as occupational toxicology, industrial hygiene, epidemiology,<br />
infectious disease, pulmonary care, cardiology, critical care, orthopedics, physiatry, burn<br />
care, <strong>and</strong>/or emergency medicine.<br />
The ability to interact successfully with other professionals is essential since no single person can<br />
be a specialist in all of the prescribed areas. The fire department physician must have a thorough<br />
knowledge of job related activities, physical dem<strong>and</strong>s of the occupation <strong>and</strong> stresses associated<br />
with fire fighting. The individual must be able to conduct job analyses, remain current on medical<br />
literature pertaining to fire service related issues, <strong>and</strong> conduct ongoing research related to fire<br />
fighters’ health, safety, <strong>and</strong> fitness.<br />
Additionally, the fire department physician must have knowledge of local, state, provincial, <strong>and</strong><br />
federal laws as well as the roles of labor <strong>and</strong> management relating to occupational medicine,<br />
health, <strong>and</strong> safety.<br />
The fire department physician must be capable of intervening to prevent illnesses <strong>and</strong> injuries of<br />
other fire fighters doing the same job as those currently being treated for occupational exposures<br />
or physical injury, while maintaining personal credibility <strong>and</strong> patient confidentiality.<br />
<strong>Module</strong> 3: <strong>Health</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Safety</strong> 3-131
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