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  • Steps for OFF/ON duty injuries
    Updated On: Jan 09, 2012

    Steps to be Taken if you have a suffered and injury or illness  - ON Duty or OFF Duty

     

    On Duty Injuries/Illnesses  (please notify a local 5 representative)

    1. All on-duty injuries/illnesses shall be reported to the employee’s supervisor at the time of the injury/illness. This would include any potential psychological injury that might require

    intervention immediately or in the foreseeable future. This also includes any injury/illness sustained during approved on or off duty physical fitness activities.

    2. Operational employees and/or the employee’s supervisor may contact the Human Resources Division or the on-duty Medical Lieutenant for assistance in providing appropriate support and documentation.

    3. All employees and/or the employee’s supervisor must contact the Fire Department Human Resources Division to report the injury/illness by the next business day.

    4. The employee must complete a Preliminary Report of Injury/Illness Form and forward the white and yellow copies to Fire Department Human Resources Division within 48 hours of the injury. If the employee is unable to fill out the form, the supervisor or Medical Lieutenant will assist.

    5. The supervisor must complete an Injury Prevention Form and forward with the Preliminary Report of Injury/Illness Form to the Fire Department Human Resources Division.

    6. The employee and/or supervisor must determine if the injury requires medical attention. Consultation with the Medical Lieutenant is strongly encouraged.

    7.  If the injury is life threatening, the employee is to be taken to the nearest trauma center.

    8. If the injury is an emergency, but not life threatening, the employee is to be taken to the Memorial Hospital Emergency Department.

    9.  If the injury needs medical attention, but is determined not to be an emergency, the employee is to call Risk Management to obtain an appointment with an authorized physician. Claims for treatment provided by an unauthorized physician (employee’s private physician) will not be paid by workers’ compensation or group health insurance.

    10.  If the injury occurs after normal business hours (Monday – Friday,8:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m.) the employee and/or supervisor will have to determine if the injury needs immediate medical attention.

    11. If the injury needs immediate attention, the employee shall be taken to the Memorial Hospital Emergency Room.

    12. If the injury does not need immediate attention, but cannot wait until the next business day, the employee may go to the Memorial Hospital After Hours Clinic.

    13.  If the employee can wait for medical attention, they must call Risk Management on the next business day to obtain a medical appointment.

    14. It is the employee’s responsibility to notify their supervisor and CSFD Human Resources of their ability to return to work. The CSFD Return to Work Evaluation Form or the physician’s equivalent must be taken to the CSFD Human Resources Division immediately.

    15. The CSFD Human Resources Division, with the direction of the Support Services Deputy Chief, will determine if the physician’s restrictions warrant a change in work status (time off, limited duty, etc.) and will advise the employee’s supervisor of any change of status or limitations.

    16.  If the CSFD Human Resources Division determines a change in work status has been ordered (time off, limited duty, etc.) arrangements will be made and tracked.

    17. A CSFD Return to Work Evaluation or a Worker’s Compensation Return to Work Evaluation Form MUST be completed by the attending physician before an employee will be allowed back to full duty. The CSFD Human Resources Division will make the determination if full duty is permitted on the basis of the physician’s report.

     

     Physical Fitness Related Injury/Illnesses (please notify a local 5 representative)

    1.  The CSFD encourages all personnel to maintain the level of fitness required for successful performance of all required duties. It is recognized that the maintenance of physical fitness may entail athletic activities that have the potential to cause injuries, even though proper and reasonable precautions have been taken. As a means of encouraging physical fitness and of providing appropriate protection to the employees, the following guidelines apply for determining work-related injuries.

     

    Guidelines for determining whether injuries/illnesses are work related.

    1. All regular classified, sworn employees are covered. Hourly and civilian employees are not covered.

    2. The Fire Department Complex and CSFD Stations will be the only approved facilities for physical fitness activities while on duty, unless specifically approved, in writing, by a Battalion Chief prior to the activity taking place.

    3.  A copy of the written approval will be sent to CSFD HR.

    4.  Employees working 40-hour weeks will not be allowed to engage in physical fitness activities while on duty. All physical fitness activities must be conducted outside of normal business hours, on the employees own time.

     

     Non-Duty Injury/Illness (please notify a local 5 representative)

    1. To comply with the Family Medical Leave Act, employees who are off more than three consecutive work days/shifts are required to call the Fire Department Human Resources Division and apprise them of the injury or illness situation and their anticipated return date.

    2.  If the injury/illness requires a change in work status and theemployee requests light duty, the CSFD Human Resources Division will consider the request based on operational needs. Should a light duty assignment result, the CSFD Human Resources Division will track hours worked. If the restricted employee does not request light duty, sick leave or trades may be used.

    3. Light/limited duty for non-duty related injuries is not guaranteed and is available as long as work is available. Refer to City Policy and Procedures Manual for Sworn Employees, Policy #22 or City Policy and Procedures Manual for Civilian Employees, Policy #30 for specifics on light/limited duty

    4. In the case of an injury/illness effecting work status, a Colorado Springs Fire Department

    Return to Work Evaluation, signed by the attending physician is necessary to allow the employee to return to full duty.

     

    Light/Limited Duty (please notify a local 5 representative)

    1.  The CSFD Human Resources Division will manage all light/limited duty assignments according to organizational needs.

    2.  Management will establish the parameters for light/limited duty assignment dates and times.

    3.  Light/limited duty will not preclude the requirement that employees take their annual accrued vacation time.

    4. While on light/limited duty assignment, the employee will remain on a 56-hour per week schedule. The employee will not lose their mandatory overtime pay.

    5.  Report actual time worked in Time and Labor. It will be converted by multiplying by 1.4 in order for the employee to remain on the 56-hour work schedule.

    6.  The employee will not work any overtime while on light/limited duty.

    7.  All light/limited duty work must be accomplished at the assigned work site. No light/limited duty assignments are to be completed at fire stations without prior approval from the Deputy Chief(s).

    8. Employee shall not be assigned any task or duty which exceeds the limitations established by his/her physician.

    9. For planning purposes, the employee shall provide supervisor with a list of upcoming appointments.

    10.  Additional time off, vacation, leaving the work site for reasons other than appointments, lunch, etc., shall be pre-approved by the supervisor.

    11. The employee must be at work for the number of hours for which they have been released. For example, if the doctor has released the employee to four-hour days, the employee must be at the actual work site for four-hours.

    12.  If released to work less than eight hours per day, doctor’s appointments and therapy will be done on the employee’s own time. Only if the employee is scheduled for eight hours a day can doctor’s appointments and supervised therapy may occur during work hours.

    13. All work time must be reported on timesheets. These timesheets must be received by the CSFD Human Resources Division or your payroll designee by 4:00 p.m. every Friday.

    14.  The employee must bring copies of all doctors’ releases to the CSFD Human Resources Division following all doctor appointments. If the employee brings the supervisor copies of these doctors’ releases, they shall be forwarded to CSFD Human Resources Division as expeditiously as possible.

    15. Failure by the employee to follow the above procedures could result in a reduction in

    workers’ compensation benefits, and/or disciplinary action.


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