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Session Evaluation

AOHC 2025

Clinical Occupational and Environmental Medicine

122 - Firefighter Cardiac Guidance Controversy, Multiple Sclerosis and Real Case Analyses

Sunday, April 27, 2025
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM CT
Location: Lone Star Salon C
Claim 1.0 CME
There is new and significant controversy regarding the evaluation of firefighters for cardiovascular fitness for duty. This section of the presentation will explore the new NFPA standard and the new ACOEM guidance that both address this topic in very different ways. There will be discussion of how and when to test, and the value (or lack thereof) of the use of METS as part of the evaluation of a firefighter's fitness for duty.The ACOEM Guidance for Medical Evaluation of Public Safety Workers had added a new chapter on Multiple Sclerosis which will be discussed in detail.Lastly, we will present real cases, from real providers like yourselves, that we have collected over the year. These will be some of the more complex and/or troublesome cases and the presenters will explain how to use the various standards and guidances to allow you to reach a fitness for duty decision.

Learning Objectives:

  • Apply either the NFPA Standard or the ACOEM Guidance for the evaluation of cardiovascular fitness for duty in firefighters.
  • Recognize the main comorbidities of multiple sclerosis that might prevent the safe return to work of public safety workers and will be able to apply the ACOEM Guidance to this process.
  • Assess the medical risks to public safety employees and to the public potentially created by specific medical conditions and will be able to identify objective criteria that will allow the employee to stay at work or return to work.
Disclosure(s):
Daniel G. Samo, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Fabrice Czarnecki, MD, MA, MPH, FACOEM: No financial relationships to disclose
Susan C. Zwiebel, MD, MPH, FACOEM: No financial relationships to disclose