and baltimore county will still say they did nothing wrong, and that will be total bs, looks like the tip of the iceberg broke and the glacier's will start to melt.

And the man who caused this is still on the payroll.

is it me, or is this article really weak on details? What kind of testing? As public safety employees, things like physical fitness and heart condition would be pretty critical to their job and public safety. Of course it should be considered. Screening for possible diabetes markers or psoriasis, not so much.

The biggest problem is at the top of the County's Fire & Police Departments as the Chiefs are instructed from County Officials to eliminate any employee that costs the individual Departments' budget money. For decades, the policy has been to force retirement on anyone with ongoing medical issues, as pensions fund from another outside source, rather then carry members through rehabilitation on the Fire or Police Department's dime. In-house fitness and performance programs in the Fire Department are a joke as they do nothing to address individuals in need of ongoing health assistance. The Fire Department's coercive, forced retirement policy is readily embraced by the current Fire Chief in an effort to establish and bolster his own personal fiscal accountability so that he maintains his job. Members, in a time of need, and quite often personal pain, who have dedicated their careers and lives to public service, are outcast by the administration rather then being supported by the Departments, and citizens they care about.

Much of the policy stems from the County being self-insured. Without any outside source watching them, they run cost analysis on members as a budget cutting concept. First they hammer members on the earned sick leave utilization for an injury, and then pressure them to either comeback early form their injuries, or resign. Since the members are forced to medically clear through a County contracted doctor prior to returning, if the County doesn't want them then they don't get cleared. In all fairness there are no more 'gravy' jobs due to the economy, but the heavy handedness does not have to play out against the members. In the FD, it is just the personal preference of the current leaders that deal it that way. As for the 'newbies', the policy is to 'hire everyone who meets the specific demographic need' regardless of their physical capabilities, then let nature take it's course over a two-year probationary period. It's all very cold and calculated, and again doesn't, and shouldn't have to be that way.

the county also allowed others with the same conditions to continue to work, while eliminating some.

In the real world if you can't do the job you are fired. Why should it be any different working for the government?

Steve,
I am well aware of what is needed to function in the 'real world', and I do not contest that especially in the FD & PD all members need to be able to perform at a high physical level. Hence the obvious need for fitness performance programs. If Baltimore County answered to independent insurance companies that rewarded enhanced capabilities, then none of this would be of issue. However what is going on in the County is ethically questionable as these members are usually injured doing the job for the citizens. They are not asking for a free ride, just an honest chance to heal, and continue on with their careers dedicated to saving lives and property. They do not deserve this kind of treatment, or the uphill fight to save their jobs for which untold hours and expense has gone into their certifications, all so that everyone else in the 'real world' can sleep better at night.

They don't deserve any kind of special treatment either. If you can't do the job find another line of work.

What happens if you have a Ryan Leaf?

Steve if you knew anything about these cases you would know they could do the job and was cleared to do their job by the doctor (specialist) not some county doctor that doing what he is being told to do from the higher up.

Steve, you are certainly entitled to a hard line, un-sympathetic, myopic, republican point of view on people, and their place in the world, but unfortunately Baltimore County is continuing to hire many folks who cannot physically do the job from the onset. So, the next time you need a medic at your house for a cardiac emergency, or a cop to chase a armed psycho at a movie theatre, or a firefighter to pull you out of a burning window, please think about your unrelenting position, and hope you get 'the one' that can do the job exceptionally well.

Steve,
What duds should have been hired in the first place? Are you talking about the 3 people in the law suit? I know one of the three very well and he is a very decorated firefighter, respected and would lay his life on the line everyday for you or his fellow firefighters. Unfortunately he had a cardiac issue that was fix and was cleared by his cardiologist to return to duty. For some reason the county doc said no, wouldn’t you think a cardiologist has a little more knowledge in this man’s medical condition then a county doc.

I was responding to Mike's post.

" I can't see hiring someone with a current physical impairment for a physically demanding job. "

ADA states that you have to give someone with any perceived disability 'reasonable opportunity to test' and 'reasonable accommodations to perform' the job. Since the County is paranoid regarding civil lawsuits for discrimination, they allow everyone who enters the FD Academy to graduate, then again, let them founder in their field duty assignment. This wastes time, resource, and risks lives, all for the sake of being politically correct. That is an unproductive process, and also something they are under the federal microscope for. Again, it does not need to be this way, but they are afraid of taking a stand and pursuing proper hiring procedures. So, they continue to operate on a cost cutting basis to manage the members and their budget.

The FD gets rid of those they want, prosecute those they want and threaten anyone who stands up to them... Someone needs to take a look at a certain Paramedic that took a disability retirement about 27 years ago. Within months he was riding a volunteer medic unit while collecting the disability pension. HMM

Diabestes is a physical impairment. Have you ever been around someone who went into insulin shock?

And I want to say he has a 6 figure salary today to go along with his disability retirement.

Well you know how my situation faired out and I have still been riding since my 2005 unlawful termination.............and in case you didn't you can still google it..... Dontay Paige

The county made me see their medical doctor too.My results didnt come back yet.I seen my own doctor first.Im still waiting since September

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