Sure, here's a rewritten version of the content:
---
Excerpts from Fox32Chicago.com:
In recent developments reported by Fox32Chicago.com, it has come to light that at least 20 out of the 111 African-American firefighters hired by the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) following a lengthy discrimination lawsuit had not been medically cleared by a department physician prior to beginning their duties. Tragically, two of these firefighters suffered severe medical incidents and passed away shortly after starting their full-time roles, as revealed by the city’s inspector general on Tuesday.
This ongoing saga dates back to a legal dispute inherited by Mayor Rahm Emanuel from his predecessor, former Mayor Richard M. Daley. The lawsuit centered on the city's discriminatory practices regarding a 1995 firefighter entrance exam. To resolve this contentious issue, the city agreed to hire 111 African-American firefighters who had previously been overlooked and borrowed $78.4 million to compensate nearly 6,000 African-Americans who missed out on the opportunity.
Just two weeks ago, Mayor Emanuel referenced this settlement during discussions about demands from an African-American firefighters' organization calling for the removal of Chicago Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago and a federal investigation into alleged racist policies within the fire department. "We settled that. Paid out somewhere around $60 million to $75 million to the individuals. Then, produced the class for [111] individuals to fulfill their dreams of becoming Chicago firefighters," Emanuel stated.
However, on Tuesday, Inspector General Joe Ferguson introduced a new twist to this long-standing legal battle. In his quarterly report, Ferguson disclosed that his investigation found at least 20 firefighters from the so-called Lewis class had not received medical clearance from a CFD physician before commencing their duties, which goes against both national standards and the city’s established protocols.
Ferguson emphasized in his report, "Two of the 20 improperly-cleared members suffered serious medical events while off-duty and died not long after they began their full duties, underscoring the critical role of a CFD physician in providing medical clearance for all new firefighters." He urged the fire department to immediately address the fitness for duty of the remaining 18 members who hadn’t been cleared by a CFD physician and to establish a formal medical clearance policy aligned with national standards.
The Chicago Fire Department countered by stating that all 111 black firefighters had undergone medical examinations by an external vendor that reviewed their medical histories, conducted physicals, and administered blood tests. Subsequently, the fire department’s physicians initially reviewed these files to approve or request further steps, including additional exams by personal physicians or retesting if initial blood results were inconclusive.
However, the fire department admitted that their own physicians failed to keep up with the subsequent reviews meant to ensure those follow-up steps were completed. "CFD further acknowledged that, on legal advice and to meet a court-imposed hiring deadline, it decided to have administrative staff perform a limited administrative review of the medical files of 53 yet-to-be-cleared candidates," Ferguson wrote.
These administrators eventually approved 19 out of 53 candidates and rejected 34 due to incomplete documentation. The fire department later confirmed that a twentieth candidate might have been administratively cleared.
During the investigation, both the current and former medical directors for the Chicago Fire Department informed investigators that the administrative personnel lacked the necessary medical expertise to evaluate candidates based on the stringent health requirements for firefighting. National standards explicitly stipulate that any medical evaluations performed by doctors or providers outside the fire department must be reviewed and approved by the department's own physicians.
Following the death of one of the cleared firefighters, the CFD brought in an external doctor with specific expertise in fire service requirements to conduct a more thorough review of the medical files of the remaining 19 administratively cleared candidates. Shortly thereafter, another of the 19 administratively cleared firefighters also died while off-duty. Both deceased firefighters were among the six candidates flagged by the external doctor for further examination, which the CFD acknowledged.
Three out of the four surviving administratively cleared firefighters for whom the external physician recommended additional screenings later encountered unrelated medical issues. The CFD’s medical staff subsequently deemed all three fully fit to return to duty after a wellness exam lacking blood tests and other diagnostic components typically included in the screening process. The fourth firefighter did not require evaluation by department physicians.
"CFD stated that it had discussed performing a medical exam for all the administratively-cleared firefighters and was willing to proceed with such examinations, but was advised by outside counsel that doing so would be improper and potentially violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)," Ferguson wrote.
Moving forward, the CFD noted that its current medical director has implemented detailed internal operating procedures adhering to National Fire Protection Association standards, which the department is now following. The Chicago Fire Department’s Medical Division Handbook, dated June 2015, specifies that a CFD physician must make the final medical clearance determination for applicants.
---
Thanks, Dan.
Tail Lights For Mitsubishi,Mitsubishi Pajero Rear Lights,Mitsubishi Pajero Tail Lights,Lancer Led Tail Lights
Wenzhou Yecheng Auto Parts Co., Ltd. , https://www.hcmotionz.com