Firefighter fired for being too fat

[Taualumna]

Firemen in northeastern Scotland are mulling strike action after one of their number was sacked for being 'too fat' for the job.

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Should he have been fired, or should they have put him in an admin job?

[DSTCHAOS]

Either fire him or give him an admin job and give him time to shape up.

They didn't say how overweight he is. There's a difference between 10 lbs and 30 lbs.

They may've just wanted him to retire so young blood could get an entry. But if they have clear health and body weight guidelines, he either needs to shape up or ship out.

Out of shape (which can be normal weight and overweight) and overweight firefighters (who are more than 15 or so lbs overweight) can not only cause a hazard to themselves but to the lives they are saving. If the goal is to be able to be swift and to be able to maneuver, whatever keeps you from doing that is a problem. Overweight and out of shape people, in general, often find that they are unable to be as quick and flexible as they would like to be.

[Army Wife'79]

You have to be able to do your job in a timely manner. Could he have have raced up 40 flights of steps in a high-rise carrying his gear? It's no different than the Army soldiers who get kicked out if they don't make weight limits.

[KSigkid]

He's been on the job 22 years, so he should know that there's a minimum fitness requirement that goes with the job.

It's like any other job; if you can't do what's expected, they'll find someone who can.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

He's been on the job 22 years, so he should know that there's a minimum fitness requirement that goes with the job.

It's like any other job; if you can't do what's expected, they'll find someone who can.

In a lot of big cities, the fire department winds up being a pretty corrupt, sleazy enterprise in spite of the heroism of some of its members - Boston immediately comes to mind. It's good to see some cracking down and rules enforcement, honestly.

[Leslie Anne]

The article didn't state whether or not there were any administrative jobs available. It might not have been an option. I've got to agree with the others who've stated that if you can't do the job, you're out of luck.

[AGDee]

It said he was 20 stone, which is about 280 pounds but they don't say how tall he is. He could be anywhere from 130 pounds overweight to like 60 pounds overweight, depending on his height. That's probably pretty far above the limit. When I was a kid, my mom called the police about something and the police saw a guy and started chasing him. The one officer was probably 100 pounds overweight and couldn't even come close to catching the guy. It was pathetic. There are some jobs that require speed, flexibility and good physical conditioning. If there was an admin position available, I could see them offering it to him. I have to wonder how many warnings he was given, if he was given a time period to change things, etc. before being let go. He didn't gain that much weight overnight.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by Army Wife'79

You have to be able to do your job in a timely manner. Could he have have raced up 40 flights of steps in a high-rise carrying his gear? It's no different than the Army soldiers who get kicked out if they don't make weight limits.

How many 40 flight buildings do you suppose there are in his district of Scotland?

Seriously, more firefighters die of heart attacks than injuries on the job and it sounds as if this guy may be a bigger hazzard to himself than anything else.

Check this graph: http://www.dos.state.ny.us/fire/LODD...s.ppt#292,9,US Firefighter Deaths by Nature of Injury, 2006 source: NFPA Journal,July-August 2007

They may be doing him a favor.