PURPOSE
This procedure establishes guidelines relating to the safety of members of the Phoenix Fire Department who become pregnant, their fellow employees, and the public.
It is the policy of the Fire Department to provide equal employment opportunities to all members. At the same time, employment and assignment decisions will consider aspects of employment that may prove detrimental to the health, welfare, and safety of any member or THE PUBLIC.
PROCEDURE
The primary determination of duty assignments of pregnant members will be safety. The critical nature of emergency incidents makes it essential that each member be able to perform the full range of their position's duties. A pregnant member assigned to a line position in the Operations Division can present a high risk for injury to self, other members, the public, and possibly the unborn child.
Although it may be difficult to exactly determine the effects of various factors on the physical well-being of the pregnant member, and the safety of co-workers and the public, it is reasonable to establish a time-frame indicating when the member will either be assigned to an alternate duty position or take authorized leave. The determination as to when the member should be reassigned or go on leave will be based on medical advice and the member's present assignment.
Upon being informed by a physician that the member is pregnant, the member must contact the Fire Department Personnel Officer, indicating the expected date of delivery. In addition, a short memo indicating the EXPECTED DATE OF DELIVERY shall be completed and sent VIA confidential mail to the Fire Department Personnel Officer. The Fire Department Personnel Officer is located at 150 S. 12th Street (262-7110). The Fire Department Personnel Officer will notify the Fire Department Physician, who will consult with the member and their personal physician to determine when the member will be assigned to an alternate duty position. This position can be on a 40 HR/WK schedule or remain on a 56 HR/WK alternate duty schedule, if available. AT ANY TIME, UPON REQUEST BY THE MEMBER, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL IMMEDIATELY ASSIGN THEM TO ALTERNATE DUTY WHEN AVAILABLE.
MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The following information is excerpted from "Reproductive Hazards of Fire fighting I and II," Melissa McDiarmid, M.D., et al., American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1991.
Medical Considerations of Firefighter Pregnancies
The job of fire fighting presents many potential hazards to healthy reproduction. It poses physical hazards such as drastic temperature variations, extreme and unpredictable physical exertions demands, and psychological stress. Firefighters may also be exposed to biological or radiation hazards. The fire environment may also produce a wide range of chemical agents, including irritant and asphyxiate gases and other toxins.
Human reproductive health, as it is affected by the work environment, is a relatively new area of study. The clearest connection between an environmental agent and adverse reproductive outcomes for both men and women is in the case of ionizing radiation, which is not a common hazard for most firefighters. Prolonged exposure to high ambient temperatures, however may also have a detrimental affect on fertility and pregnancy. High heat exposure has been related to infertility in men and may be linked to neural defects in babies of exposed mothers.
Chemical agents in the fire environment are numerous and unpredictable. The toxic effects of fire smoke have been tentatively linked to a number of physical problems, including respiratory disease, coronary artery disease and malignancies. Many chemical agents in the fire environment may also adversely affect reproduction. Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide, acrolein and other aldehydes, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, nitrogen dioxide, and benzene are commonly produced in fire environments. Research shows that all of these compounds may have detrimental affects on reproduction. Pregnant women and their fetuses are especially affected by carbon monoxide exposures.
Although much more study is needed, existing research suggests that both men and women are vulnerable to reproductive toxicity in the fire fighting environment. In addition, the potential hazards to developing fetuses pose special concerns for pregnant firefighters
