Fire Service Administration Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act has led to a tremendous amount of litigation, including lawsuits against fire departments. Assume that a firefighter/paramedic learns he has Type II diabetes. You are his station Captain and you learn through the “rumor mill” that he has a medical problem. You become increasingly concerned about his health, and about his ability to perform his duties. He is gaining lots of weight, falls asleep during paramedic training, is not working out with the other on-duty personnel, and you are getting feedback from his crew members that he is having performance issues on ALS runs Given the situation and conditions, include your opinion of the following when completing this written assignment: Render your opinion as to whether this firefighter is considered “disabled” under the ADA. List what steps the department might take to “reasonably accommodate” him. Determine whether or not lawful authority exists for the department to require a medical evaluation to confirm he is healthy enough to perform the essential functions of the job. Determine whether the department can ultimately suspend or terminate him if he can not adequately perform his job duties. You can find additional information on the ADA here: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm General Instructions for Written Assignmentsbar Your written assignment is intended to test your understanding of important concepts and sharpen your intellectual skills of analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and application. The intent of the written assignment is to provide an opportunity to more fully describe, explain, and analyze the books and other sources. There are three main resources that will enable you to successfully complete written assignments: Writing Resource Center- link here for access to writing resources developed by Empire State College and the Genesee Valley Center Writing Program. Hamilton College’s Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center- link here for general writing advice. Empire State College’s Writer’s Complex – link here for writing tips and assistance.