Fire service administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fire service administration - Essay Example Diabetes is an episodic impairment that could make a person considered disabled under ADA (Illinois Legal Aid, 2012). Therefore, the firefighter may be considered disabled due to his diabetic nature that may limit his brain functioning that make him sleep during paramedic training. The law compels the need for employers to make available â€Å"reasonable accommodation to employees with disabilities, not unless their accommodation would cause considerable problems and, or cost to the employer (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.). In respect to the law, the department might take some steps to accommodate the firefighter. The steps include, and not limited to reallocating tasks to other employees, adjusting working schedules, providing intervallic breaks during work time, and providing medical assistance. The department can be permitted to conduct employee medical examinations to determine if employees can perform vital job functions without injuries. Further, an employee’s work contract can be suspended or terminated in cases that employees are unable to perform duties as required (Illinois Legal Aid, 2012). For example, employers may consider safety and health issues as substantial harm to the employee. In this case, the firefighter’s weight gain exposes him to cardiovascular diseases that are leading causes among fire fighters (Fahs et al., 2009). Fahs, C., Smith, L., Horn, G., Agiovlasitis, S., Rossow, L., Echols, G., Heffernan, K., & Fernhall, B., (2009). Impacts of excess body weight on arterial structure, function, and blood pressure in firefighters. The American Journal of Cardiology, 104(10):1441-5. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2009.07.009 Illinois Legal Aid. (2012) Disabilities Guidebook: Who Has a Disability under the ADA? Guidebook of Laws and Programs for People with Disabilities. Retrieved from