# Can I get fired because of this



## Tk11 (Dec 3, 2015)

So I was recently employed, took the lift test required. I was told during the test my HR exceeded my "limit" it wasn't supposed to go above 180, but did. I completed all the pulling, lifting, and pushing they asked me to do and was told I did a good job, except for the HR. But I was told my HR dropped rapidly after I was done doing the lifting, which I was told was a good thing. I don't have a history of heart problems or history of anything really, I'm only 19. I'm a short guy about 5'6" only about 117 lbs. I do cardio everyday of the week, and work out with weights in a gym 3-4 times a week. So I'm not out of shape.

I think it was for of a physiological thing, they strapped the monitor on the chest and wrist band and I had the "My heart rate can't go up" thoughts in my head the whole time which I know made it worse. Now I'm worried they're going to tell me I don't have a job. Do you think this is a problem? Like I said I did lift everything and the right way required, so if I go out and hurt myself lifting its not like I could anything out of suing the company, right? So would they still be worried about my HR when lifting? Just want some opinions so I can stop thinking about it so much.


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## TransportJockey (Dec 4, 2015)

If you went above the limit they set for hr, they can withdraw the job offer. Happened to me once with Acadian


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## Tk11 (Dec 4, 2015)

TransportJockey said:


> If you went above the limit they set for hr, they can withdraw the job offer. Happened to me once with Acadian


For what reason? Did they tell you? Do they think you're going to have a heart attack while lifting someone and sue or what the hell? I guess I'll have to ask them myself.


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## TransportJockey (Dec 4, 2015)

Because its the rules of their PAT. Thats the only reason they need, honestly


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## Tk11 (Dec 4, 2015)

TransportJockey said:


> Because its the rules of their PAT. Thats the only reason they need, honestly


Hmm. Well the therapist that did my test said MOST companies they do the tests for have a if you're heart rate exceeds the limit but drops a certain percent within I believe 2 minutes than you're ok. I don't know about the company I'm at now but I guess I'll find out. Thanks for the heads up though, I'll prepare for the worst.


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## RocketMedic (Dec 4, 2015)

Acadian was lame anyway


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## ViolynEMT (Dec 5, 2015)

Man. My company didn't even monitor HR. Maybe they don't care.


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## akflightmedic (Dec 5, 2015)

For someone who does cardio every day and the gym 3-4 x a week....and at your age and size...you never should have even come close to that high of a HR.

I am a big guy, not a gym rat at all and barely break 170. When I used to work out like you are, it was hard to break 150. Sounds like there might be more to this equation overall than just that. I can see the body raising a HR due to nerves but not raising it to 180. Crazy...

As for the question, yeh you can be fired for anything. So I always laugh when I see questions asking "Can I be fired for this..."...the answer is yes, yes you can.


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## Tk11 (Dec 5, 2015)

akflightmedic said:


> For someone who does cardio every day and the gym 3-4 x a week....and at your age and size...you never should have even come close to that high of a HR.
> 
> I am a big guy, not a gym rat at all and barely break 170. When I used to work out like you are, it was hard to break 150. Sounds like there might be more to this equation overall than just that. I can see the body raising a HR due to nerves but not raising it to 180. Crazy...
> 
> As for the question, yeh you can be fired for anything. So I always laugh when I see questions asking "Can I be fired for this..."...the answer is yes, yes you can.


I seen a doctor and they told me everything was normal. I had taken another lift test for another company probably 3 months ago? Same type of test, my heart rate never got that high. I didn't drink any caffeine or anything so I'm not sure what was wrong with me. Also forgot to add, sometimes when I'm exercising I'll tend to hold my breath and I don't realize it, that could've been a problem.


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## akflightmedic (Dec 5, 2015)

Yeh...um, no.


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## Tk11 (Dec 6, 2015)

I can't control my heart rate and set it to what I want it to be at. I was told I have no problems. I know I'm not obese or out of shape. I feel healthy, have no issues when doing anything. The therapist said "You don't look  distressed so we're going to keep going" when my hr was high. So I mean... I know I'm ok and can do the job. But if they don't want to give me a job because a HR than ok. Not sweating a $9/Hour job.


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## squirrel15 (Dec 6, 2015)

I don't have anything to add, but good lord man eat a sandwich lol. I'm just joking I wish I was thinner


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## squirrel15 (Dec 6, 2015)

I don't have anything to add, but good lord man eat a sandwich lol. I'm just joking I wish I was thinner


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## triemal04 (Dec 6, 2015)

squirrel15 said:


> I don't have anything to add, but good lord man eat a sandwich lol. I'm just joking I wish I was thinner


I'm not.  Eat a sandwich.  In fact, eat a lot of sandwiches.  Because at 5'6" and only 117 pounds I can see what the problem is, especially with a horid exercise routine like you have.

Easy steps to follow:

Start eating right and gain some weight; you'll want to figure out what "right" means in this specific setting.

Get a real exercise plan; 7 days of "cardio" and 3-4 of "weightlifting" each week...nuff said there

When you go to the gym, go to WORK don't just show up.

Drop the entitlement.

Do this and you won't have a problem.


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## CALEMT (Dec 6, 2015)

Im with triemal04 get a solid workout routine. Yesterday I ran on a ironman participant whose body just gave out. He did a 112 mile bike ride, something mile swim, and something mile run and his resting HR was in the high 40's. 

You did a easy physical agility test. When I did mine I don't think my HR ever went above 80. To be blunt every EMS PAT I've ever taken has been a walk in the park and I'm not crazy fit in shape. 

Like trimeal04 has already suggested when you show up to the gym show up to do work, not just to look good for the girls. Push yourself to the max, you should be going home feeling like you just wrestled a bear for 12 hours. You should be sore the next day, thats how you know you're doing it right. When you run again you should push yourself to the max. 2 miles is what I recommend. The first couple times you'll feel like you want to throw up and thats perfectly normal. But you'll notice when 2 miles becomes easy. Never strive for easy, once it becomes easy is when you move up to more weight and more miles.


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## wtferick (Dec 6, 2015)

Damn I barely hit 196 HR. I'm about 140 pounds 5'8. But learning how to decrease your heart rate should be something you look into. Always good to know how to relax after doing cardio.


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## Tk11 (Dec 7, 2015)

My step father was a personal trainer and competitive body builder for years. He trains me in the gym. He tells me what I should be eating and doing after workouts etc. He's told me I need to gain weight too, it's just hard for me. I can eat whatever the hell and stuff my face, it doesn't seem to stick to me.


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## triemal04 (Dec 7, 2015)

Tk11 said:


> My step father was a personal trainer and competitive body builder for years. He trains me in the gym. He tells me what I should be eating and doing after workouts etc. He's told me I need to gain weight too, it's just hard for me. I can eat whatever the hell and stuff my face, it doesn't seem to stick to me.


Well...not only is body building not what you need to be doing, regardless of what your routine is, it isn't working.  Time to change it up.   If that means you need to either go to a different trainer, or better yet, figure out an effective routine on your own, that is what you need to do.

I don't know if it's what you meant, but the concept of "hard gainers" when it comes to weight is a load of BS.  Eat more.  It's really that simple.  (you need to eat more correctly, but how to do that should be easy for you to figure out.)  Think of it this way; you weigh 117 pounds, and however much you are eating, apparently it's only what a 117 pound person would eat.  You need to eat like someone who is 135 pounds.

Simple and easy steps to follow.


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## RocketMedic (Dec 7, 2015)

I like how Triemal04 thinks his advice is actually good.


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## CALEMT (Dec 7, 2015)

RocketMedic said:


> I like how Triemal04 thinks his advice is actually good.



I think I just may quote that and forever save it on this site. Because that will probably never happen again.


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## RocketMedic (Dec 7, 2015)

Make sure you get the sarcasm.


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## Tk11 (Dec 8, 2015)

Thanks guys for all the replies and advice. I've been told the woman who gave me the test PASSED me, so I don't see how they can say.. "You were passed on the lift test but were firing you anyway."


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## chaz90 (Dec 8, 2015)

Tk11 said:


> Thanks guys for all the replies and advice. I've been told the woman who gave me the test PASSED me, so I don't see how they can say.. "You were passed on the lift test but were firing you anyway."


Wasn't your original question about whether you "may" lose your job? 

If they don't fire you, congrats on the new job. If they do, I guess it's for something else. Sounds like you have to wait and see where the chips fall at this point.


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## Tk11 (Dec 8, 2015)

chaz90 said:


> Wasn't your original question about whether you "may" lose your job?
> 
> If they don't fire you, congrats on the new job. If they do, I guess it's for something else. Sounds like you have to wait and see where the chips fall at this point.


At that point I didn't know that I passed it. I was told "Your heart rate exceeded your limit but you did a job good on everything" when I left the place. I called HR and asked if they reviewed the results I was told I passed but they passed the results along to operations manager. We'll see what happens. This is a company that DIDNT drug test me upon employment by the way......


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## Tk11 (Dec 8, 2015)

chaz90 said:


> Wasn't your original question about whether you "may" lose your job?
> 
> If they don't fire you, congrats on the new job. If they do, I guess it's for something else. Sounds like you have to wait and see where the chips fall at this point.


At that point I didn't know that I passed it. I was told "Your heart rate exceeded your limit but you did a job good on everything" when I left the place. I called HR and asked if they reviewed the results I was told I passed but they passed the results along to operations manager. We'll see what happens. This is a company that DIDNT drug test me upon employment by the way......


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## SixEightWhiskey (Dec 9, 2015)

Just out of curiosity for the OP and anyone else who has replied, do most of your employers require a PAT prior to being hired? is this FD or municipal-based or for a private? I've worked for several different private and hospital based EMS agencies in the Northeast and the only pre-hire requirement was a pretty standard physical.


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## BigDon (Dec 17, 2015)

^ I know I'm a little late to the party, but I was curious about a PAT for a private service as well.


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## Jim37F (Dec 17, 2015)

BigDon said:


> ^ I know I'm a little late to the party, but I was curious about a PAT for a private service as well.


They exist. IME not a major 12 station timed circuit like a Biddle or CPAT per say, but at my first 911 private company they had a PAT where you had to GS carry one of their husker employees up and down the parking lot twice with one of the other new hire testees (is that even the right word?) And then he layed down on a backboard, and we had to lift from the ground to waist level and do that like 5 times. Not exactly the most difficult PAT out there but was simple and straight forward enough. And yes, if you couldn't pass it, they would rescind the job offer, or give you a few weeks in the gym to come back and retry, but you would not get hired without passing it first.


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## CALEMT (Dec 17, 2015)

Jim37F said:


> new hire testees (is that even the right word?)



Candidate would've been a better choice word


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## BigDon (Dec 18, 2015)

Jim37F,  Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it.


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