| What is the purpose of this physical? |
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Your department has contracted with us to help your department meet and/or exceed state health requirements for firefighters. The state has a minimum requirement that we call the Respiratory Clearance Exam. This is an exam that OSHA has been requiring for many years to factory worker who wear any type of respirator. As to what kind of exam that you are getting is determined by your department. Your department decision maker will determine which exams you will receive. |
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| What is a Respiratory Clearance Exam? |
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In Ohio, the Respiratory Clearance Exam is a pulmonary function test using a spirometer, and a short exam by a physician or physician assistant that checks your head, nose, throat and listen to your heart and lungs and vital signs.
In Indiana, the Respiratory Clearance Exam is the above paragraph along with an eye exam and urine analysis. |
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| What is a regular Physical Exam? |
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A regular Physical Exam usually includes the following: blood work (Complete Blood Count, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Lipid Panel and Liver Enzymes), urine analysis (to look for glucose, blood, protein, leukocytes), it also detects dehydration. Pulmonary function test using a spirometer. A vision and hearing test and chest x-ray.. Our physician or physician assistant will do a head to toe exam along with an EKG. If we have drawn your blood a few days before the exam the physician or physician assistant will go over your test results at this time.
Your department will decide if you will be going through all of the above or limited testing. Your department will also decide if there are more test that they would like for you. |
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| What are some of the other test that my department can order? |
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1. PSA (blood test for me to test their prostate)
2. Hepatitis B Titer
3. Hepatitis C Titer
4. HIV
5. Cholinesterase, RBC
6. Heavy Metal Blood
7. Heavy Metal Urine
8. Urine Drug Test
9. Syphilis RBC
10. Liver Panel
11. Electrolytes
12. Other Blood test can be ordered
13. Stress Test
14. CDL Exams
15. Respirator Fit Test
16. Physical Fitness Testing
17. Breath Alcohol Testing
18. Immunizations |
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| I just became full time and I will need a physical for pre-employment, are you able to do this? |
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Yes, we perform physicals that can meet the Ohio Police and Fire Retirement requirements as well as the Indiana PERF requirements. If you are starting a part-time job with a department we can customize your physical to what your department is looking for. |
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| How does the process work for the physicals? |
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If we are performing physicals for your entire department, someone from our company will come to your department to draw your blood a week or more before the physicals. Depending on what physicals we are performing for your department, we will bring out our 48 ft trailer, or physicals are done in the firehouse. Your department will decide the day that you will have your physical and will figure out the time schedule. The time needed for the physicals depends on what was ordered for you.. If you are receiving a respiratory clearance exam it will be 15 to 20 minutes. If you are receiving a regular physical it will take approximately 45 minutes. If you are having the stress test there will be an additional 20 minutes. There are usually several people in the trailer at once. We will work with your department on how the scheduling should be timed. |
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| What happens if I am not there the day of my physical? |
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We can schedule you either at another department when it is convenient or you may need to come to our office for your physical. |
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| What happens if I am not there the day of the blood draw? |
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We can do the blood draw the day of the physical. Usually we will have you come to the trailer before we start physicals allowing you can eat before your exam. |
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| Is there anything I need to do for the blood draw? |
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You should fast for 8 to 10 hours. Please drink plenty of water. If your blood draw is in the afternoon you can eat a light breakfast, but do not eat anything greasy or real sugary. However, if you are a diabetic or have another disease that requires you to not skip meals go ahead and eat a light meal. |
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| My department has told me that I will have a stress test, what can I expect? |
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The stress test is on a treadmill. You should wear comfortable clothing (shorts, T-shirt and walking shoes). Please do not take blood pressure medication before the test, wait until after the test. The test starts out slow and will increase speed and incline every 3 minutes, for a total of 12 minutes. The technician will take your blood pressure at regular intervals and will monitor your heart rate and rhythm. When you have reached your target heart rate or 12 minutes the technician will stop you and have you go into recovery. During recovery you will be monitored while sitting in a chair, this will take about 5 to 7 minutes while the technician monitors your heart rate and blood pressure. |
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| What happens if I fail my stress test? |
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If abnormalities are noted on the EKG, during the stress test, then a few things may happen. If you are symptomatic then you will be taken directly to a local hospital. If we see changes but no symptoms, then follow up the next day with your primary care doctor or a cardiologist is required. Additional test may need to be performed. False positives can occur during the test. |
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| What happens if I do not pass my pulmonary function test? |
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You will need to follow up with your primary care doctor and /or pulmonary doctor to have additional testing performed. We have had members not meet the minimal requirements set forth by the state, but this does not prevent them from performing their jobs, we need to know that they are not life threatening underlying diseases. |
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| Do I get a copy of my lab results? |
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Yes, if we draw your blood before your exam you will receive your copy the day of your exam. If we draw your blood the day of the exam you will receive a copy in the mail along with a letter addressing any abnormalities. |
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| Do I get a copy of my physical? |
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You can, just ask one of the people during your exam to mail you a copy. Or if you want them later just call our office and we will be happy to mail or fax a copy of your physical to you. |
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| Can my doctor receive a copy of this physical? |
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Yes, you will have to provide your doctor’s name and fax number or address. |
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| Will my employer receive a copy of my physical? |
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NO, unless your employer requires it. Before your physical starts, a consent form must be signed, we will let you know at that time if your employer gets a copy or not. Most employers will receive a Fit for Duty Letter, 90 Day Fit for Duty Letter or Unfit for Duty Letter. If your department orders a drug test they may receive a notice of the results found. Some Haz-Mat teams and FEMA teams receive copies of the physicals but in sealed envelopes so if you are injured during a deployment they have your most recent physical for comparison. The FEMA team that we deal with has copies of your physical on hard drives that are only physicians can access to during a deployment. The regular office staff does not have any access to any of your information other than those letters listed.
Another exception would be if you were doing a physical for full time new hire. When we do a physical for Ohio Police and Fire Disability and Pension Fund or Indiana PERF we have to provide them with a copy of your physical. We have to send the copy of your physical to your department for them to add their paperwork in with it then they will send it to the appropriate address. There is a chance at this time that some one from your department could look at your physical. |
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| What is a Fit for Duty, 90 Day Fit for Duty and Unfit for Duty Letters mean? |
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A Fit for Duty Letter means that you are fit for duty for what your department has ordered. A 90 Day Fit for Duty Letter means that something was detected that you need to follow up on with your personal doctor. You are still able to work during this time. Your department does not know what the follow up is for unless you tell them. An Unfit for Duty Letter means that you are unable to work as a fire fighter. If you get the Unfit for Duty Letter our physicians or physician assistants will go over your health issues with you and educate you. You will know what kind of letter we will issue to your department before we send it out. |
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| Can I use my physical for another department? |
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If we have the contract with your other department let us know and we will issue a letter for that department also. If your other department is not contracted with us you can always request a copy of your physical to give to them. |
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| I am on two departments that use your services do I need two physicals? |
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That would depend on what the two departments have ordered. Most of the time they are similar and you would only have to come in for the one. |
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| Can I use my physical from my other department that you did not perform? |
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That depends on your department. Some departments will just accept a copy of that physical. Other departments have you send a copy of your physical to our office for our physician to look over to issue a Fit for Duty Letter. There maybe times that you will still have to do a test that was ordered for the department that our company is dealing with because it was not ordered by your other department. |
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What do I need to do the day of my physical?
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If you are having your blood draw remember to fast and drink plenty of water. Have your paperwork filled out and be on time. There is no waiting room in our trailer, so we need for you to come in the door at the time that you are scheduled. If for any reason we are running ahead or behind we will let the person that is in charge of the schedule know. When it is your time please come into the trailer and someone will be right with you. |
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| Why do I have to fill out the paper work and what is it for? |
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The demographic sheet is just so we will know how to contact you if we need to. There are times when we need to contact an individual, especially if you have a 90 day letter, or we are following up on a blood test.
The 1582 form is a form that the NFPA would like for us to use to help in our evaluation of your health. We know that there are a lot of questions that may not apply to you please just answer them the best that you can. If you have any other questions about this form please bring the questions up when you are getting your physical and we will be more than happy to help you.
The OSHA form is a form that everyone that wears some type of respirator is required to fill out yearly. There are several questions on this form that do not apply to your job as a fire fighter, so please just do the best that you can in answering them. If you still have questions about this form, please bring them with you and we will be more than happy to help you with answering them.
If you are having a Ohio Police and Fire or Indiana PERF you will have paperwork to fill out that is for these agencies. |
