# Medical Examiners Card



## surfer06 (Apr 22, 2011)

Hey, I am having a problem getting my Medical Examiners card. My eye sight is; Right eye 20/25 (wth Corrective lens). And Left eye is 20/50 (with Corrective lens). The Green card says I must have 20/40 in each eye. No ambulace company will hire me without the green card. Are their waivers around it? Even if my vision doesn't pass could I have a physician sign off on it?


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## Sasha (Apr 22, 2011)

I thought you had to be a Dr to be a medical examiner.


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## HotelCo (Apr 22, 2011)

surfer06 said:


> Hey, I am having a problem getting my Medical Examiners card. My eye sight is; Right eye 20/25 (wth Corrective lens). And Left eye is 20/50 (with Corrective lens). The Green card says I must have 20/40 in each eye. No ambulace company will hire me without the green card. Are their waivers around it? Even if my vision doesn't pass could I have a physician sign off on it?



Plenty of jobs outside of California.


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## Gecko24 (Apr 22, 2011)

Sasha said:


> I thought you had to be a Dr to be a medical examiner.




Negative Ghostrider.


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## JPINFV (Apr 22, 2011)

Sasha said:


> I thought you had to be a Dr to be a medical examiner.




The medical examiner's card is the wallet card that has to be carried saying that  the holder has passed a medical exam. Without it you aren't allowed to drive.


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## Sasha (Apr 22, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> The medical examiner's card is the wallet card that has to be carried saying that  the holder has passed a medical exam. Without it you aren't allowed to drive.



Oh, I thought it was like "yay i'm a medical examiner now!"


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## bigbaldguy (Apr 22, 2011)

How sweet would that be, just flash your card at the police tape, stroll onto the scene whip out your "junior CSI kit" from ToysRus (I find it disturbing that they actually sell this there by the way) and away yah go.


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## Aprz (Apr 22, 2011)

Your options are to work out of state, work for a company where you aren't the driver, or take an EMT job that doesn't involve driving e.g. theme parks. It's not like they set up standards and then let you do it anyways. It sucks, but you can't physically do it, and I wouldn't trust somebody to drive an ambulance or a car with poor eye sight.


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## firetender (Apr 22, 2011)

*Unlikely the answer is here, unless...*

...someone here understands the appeals process of your particular state or county or whoever monitors the Medical Examiner's office. You would likely have to submit some testing results at your expense. Just don't give up until you've explored all your options...from the Agent that's challenging you.


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## JPINFV (Apr 22, 2011)

First things first, "California ambulance driver" puts EMTLife at the 7th position in Google. 

In order to drive an ambulance in California you either need to work for a fire department or get an Ambulance Driver Certification. A requirement of that certification is to pass the same physical exam required of commercial drivers ("Medical Examination Report"). There are several automatic disqualifies for this, including the aforementioned 20/40 corrected. However, "CMV drivers who do not meet the Federal Vision Standard may call (202) 366-4001 for an application for a vision exemption. (See Visual Disorders and Commercial Drivers at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/medreports.htm)"


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## surfer06 (Apr 23, 2011)

The dl 51 medical examiners card from the DMV. It's a physical that all emt's must take in order to work on an ambulance


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## surfer06 (Apr 23, 2011)

Thankyou!


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## surfer06 (Apr 23, 2011)

My goal in life is to become  Paramedic in the fire department. I havent been able to find the vision requirments for most fire departments. I know alot of departments are differnt.


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## phideux (Apr 23, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> First things first, "California ambulance driver" puts EMTLife at the 7th position in Google.
> 
> In order to drive an ambulance in California you either need to work for a fire department or get an Ambulance Driver Certification. A requirement of that certification is to pass the same physical exam required of commercial drivers ("Medical Examination Report"). There are several automatic disqualifies for this, including the aforementioned 20/40 corrected. However, "CMV drivers who do not meet the Federal Vision Standard may call (202) 366-4001 for an application for a vision exemption. (See Visual Disorders and Commercial Drivers at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/medreports.htm)"



That's great for California. "we think you are too blind to drive, but you can get an exemption, and drive an ambulance, code 3".B)<_<


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## HotelCo (Apr 23, 2011)

phideux said:


> That's great for California. "we think you are too blind to drive, but you can get an exemption, and drive an ambulance, code 3".B)<_<



Did you think something coming out of California would actually make sense?


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## JPINFV (Apr 23, 2011)

phideux said:


> That's great for California. "we think you are too blind to drive, but you can get an exemption, and drive an ambulance, code 3".B)<_<


I never realized that California ran the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in the Department of Transportation.


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## MrBrown (Apr 23, 2011)

surfer06 said:


> My goal in life is to become  Paramedic in the fire department. I havent been able to find the vision requirments for most fire departments. I know alot of departments are differnt.



Most FDs are bound by the NFPA 1582 which is 20/30 binocularly, 20/50 in one eye is not that big of a problem really.



phideux said:


> That's great for California. "we think you are too blind to drive, but you can get an exemption, and drive an ambulance, code 3".B)<_<



This bloke would yes, would Blind Brown at os 20/80 od 20/200? No.


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## surfer06 (Apr 24, 2011)

MrBrown said:


> Most FDs are bound by the NFPA 1582 which is 20/30 binocularly, 20/50 in one eye is not that big of a problem really.
> 
> 
> 
> This bloke would yes, would Blind Brown at os 20/80 od 20/200? No.





sweet thanx!


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## Medic2409 (Apr 24, 2011)

Meh...you really don't need two eyes to drive, one good one will do just fine.

I wonder if this might be an ADA issue?


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## surfer06 (Apr 25, 2011)

Medic2409 said:


> Meh...you really don't need two eyes to drive, one good one will do just fine.
> 
> I wonder if this might be an ADA issue?





I never thought of that. I'll look into it.


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## JPINFV (Apr 25, 2011)

Considering that the medical requirements are largely federal requirements (hence contacting the federal DOT for the exemption), I highly doubt that there's a ADA case here. After all, who would you want to have better health, the professional driver who has to follow all traffic rules all the time or the professional driver who can, with the flip of a few switches, exempt himself from most of the traffic laws?


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## 8jimi8 (Apr 25, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> Considering that the medical requirements are largely federal requirements (hence contacting the federal DOT for the exemption), I highly doubt that there's a ADA case here. After all, who would you want to have better health, the professional driver who has to follow all traffic rules all the time or the professional driver who can, with the flip of a few switches, exempt himself from most of the traffic laws?



So you are suggesting Code 3 allows you to break all traffic laws?  

I think no, friend


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## JPINFV (Apr 25, 2011)

8jimi8 said:


> So you are suggesting Code 3 allows you to break all traffic laws?
> 
> I think no, friend



You can't break laws that you're exempt from, and yes, in California essentially the only traffic law not exempt from is stopping for school buses. This is, of course, not touching on the requirement of driving with due regard.


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## JPINFV (Apr 25, 2011)

To clarify the above,



> 21055.  The  driver of an authorized emergency vehicle is exempt from Chapter 2  (commencing with Section 21350), Chapter 3 (commencing with Section  21650), Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 21800), Chapter 5 (commencing  with Section 21950), Chapter 6 (commencing with 22100), Chapter 7  (commencing with Section 22348), Chapter 8 (commencing with Section  22450), Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 22500), and Chapter 10  (commencing with Section 22650) of this division, and Article 3  (commencing with Section 38305) and Article 4 (commencing with Section  38312) of Chapter 5 of Division 16.5, under all of the following  conditions:
> 
> [response to an emergency call]
> [sounding a siren as needed while displaying a forward facing red lamp]


http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21055.htm

Chapter 2: Traffic signs, signals and markings
Chapter 3: Driving, overtaking, and passing
Chapter 4: Right-of-Way
Chapter 5: Pedestrian Rights and Duties
Chapter 6: Turning, Stopping, and Turning Signals
Chapter 7: Speed Laws
Chapter 8: Special Stops Required
Chapter 9: Stopping, Standing, and Parking
Chapter 10: Removal of Parked and Abandoned Vehicles
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/vctoc.htm

So, yea, emergency vehicles displaying a forward facing red light and basically exempt from traffic laws in California provided the vehicle is operated with due regard. You can't break a law you are exempt from.


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## beandip4all (Apr 28, 2011)

OP- I would shop around and try to get different Dr's offices to fill out your form.  Some are more lax than others.  Also, a PA, NP or chiropractor can all fill out the DM-51 as well...


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## JPINFV (Apr 28, 2011)

beandip4all said:


> OP- I would shop around and try to get different Dr's offices to fill out your form.  Some are more lax than others.  Also, a PA, NP or chiropractor can all fill out the DM-51 as well...


There's always alternatives (see second scene)...
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zvOGdEtje8[/YOUTUBE]


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## surfer06 (Apr 28, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> There's always alternatives (see second scene)...
> [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zvOGdEtje8[/YOUTUBE]






hahhahaa I love this movie!!!!


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## msoda (May 2, 2011)

I have the same issue. If anyone has some sort of experience with bad vision and getting a waiver for California's ADL I'd really like to hear about it.


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## surfer06 (May 4, 2011)

i have called the exemption number. To qualify for it you have to have 3 years expeirence driving a comercial vehical. Since i dont qualify, she told me to contact my local DMV and speak with the comercial drivers licence director for a waiver around the vision requirments. I hope this works, I have been dealing with this for about a year now and i really want to get a EMT job, and get expierence.


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## surfer06 (May 11, 2011)

MSODA- 
what is your vision? I just found a way thru it


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## msoda (May 13, 2011)

surfer06 said:


> MSODA-
> what is your vision? I just found a way thru it



20/15 (corrected) in my good eye, 20/40 (or better I forget) in my "bad eye" (uncorrectable), however I have monocular vision. It's odd that with over a decade of driving experience, zero driving violations, and one of the best optometrists in all of California telling me I've basically adapted to having one dominant eye, I can't get qualified. 

Also I sent you a PM if you'd like to discuss it there.


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## surfer06 (May 13, 2011)

i  have not received a pm. you good eye is way stronger? is it Ambliopoia?


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## msoda (May 13, 2011)

surfer06 said:


> i  have not received a pm. you good eye is way stronger? is it Ambliopoia?




Yea my right eye is a good deal stronger.


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## Medic2409 (May 16, 2011)

I may have stated this elsewhere, but I don't remember perzactly where or if I did...danged somezheimers.

I know two guys, one is a ParaMedic, the other is a FF/EMT-I.  Each of these guys only has 1 eye, and they're both pretty damned good at doing the job.


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## surfer06 (May 16, 2011)

thanx man!!!!!!


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## msoda (May 17, 2011)

Medic2409 said:


> I may have stated this elsewhere, but I don't remember perzactly where or if I did...danged somezheimers.
> 
> I know two guys, one is a ParaMedic, the other is a FF/EMT-I.  Each of these guys only has 1 eye, and they're both pretty damned good at doing the job.



True... but you're not in California. Our :censored::censored::censored::censored: is really, really messed up. There's no way to just have an ophthalmologist give you an O.K., you've got to go through this ridiculous process, and whether it works for me remains to be seen.


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## msoda (Jun 23, 2011)

Alright I was eventually cleared by a doctor. Far as the ambulance driver's license goes, the issue is more or less the DL51 (obviously), which is a major hassle. Since the DL51 is a blanket form it applies to the lowest and highest levels of commercial driver's license and non-CDL. From what I was told by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, unless you're a school bus driver, and your vision isn't _terrible_, they'll review a DL51 done by any doctor and another form done by an ophthalmologist ,  'clearing' or giving a recommendation on your vision. After a review they'll decide on giving you some sort of waiver.


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## lilchic (Jun 24, 2011)

I don't know abt a waiver, but what about lasic surgery? I mean if this is what you really want to do..my eyesight is very poor also and rain and darkness makes it even worse..eventually Im going to get it done.


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## surfer06 (Jun 24, 2011)

unfortunatley my problem isn't correctable by any surgery.


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