Excerpts from Fox32Chicago.com:
A recent report by the city’s inspector general has revealed a troubling oversight in the Chicago Fire Department’s (CFD) hiring process for 111 African-American firefighters who were brought on after a long-standing discrimination lawsuit. According to the findings, at least 20 of these new hires were not properly medically cleared by a CFD physician before beginning their duties—contrary to both national standards and internal procedures.
The legal dispute dates back to the 1995 firefighter entrance exam, which was found to have been discriminatory against African-Americans. Under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the city resolved the issue by agreeing to hire the 111 candidates and pay out $78.4 million in compensation to nearly 6,000 individuals who had been unfairly excluded. The mayor recently highlighted this resolution as a major achievement, but the inspector general’s report now brings up serious concerns about the health and safety of some of those hired.
Two of the improperly cleared firefighters suffered severe medical issues while off-duty and later died, raising questions about the adequacy of the screening process. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) urged the CFD to take immediate action to ensure that the remaining 18 firefighters who hadn’t been medically cleared were evaluated properly and to implement a formal medical clearance policy moving forward.
The fire department responded by stating that all 111 firefighters had undergone medical evaluations by an external vendor, including physical exams and blood tests. Their own doctors then reviewed the results, either clearing the candidates or requesting additional steps like follow-up exams or retesting. However, the department admitted that its physicians fell behind in reviewing the files, leading to delays in proper medical evaluation.
To meet a court-mandated deadline, the CFD allowed administrative staff to review the files of 53 candidates, ultimately clearing 19 and rejecting 34 due to incomplete documentation. A twentieth candidate may also have been cleared administratively. But according to the inspector general's report, these staff members lacked the medical expertise to properly assess whether the candidates met the physical demands of the job.
After the first death, the CFD hired an outside doctor with experience in fire service requirements to re-evaluate the 19 administratively cleared candidates. This doctor flagged six of them as having conditions that required further inquiry. Two of those individuals later died while off-duty. Three others experienced unrelated medical issues, and although they were cleared after a wellness exam without full diagnostic testing, the OIG raised concerns about the adequacy of the process.
The CFD stated it wanted to conduct more thorough medical exams for the remaining candidates but was advised by legal counsel that doing so could violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. In response, the department has since updated its medical procedures to align with National Fire Protection Association standards, ensuring that final medical clearance is always done by a CFD physician.
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