Issue in the News about facial hair and first responders - again

Don't’ they think there would be a problem if they had to wear a CBRM mask for a response???

LAWSUIT: Frum Medics Prevented From Responding to 911 Calls

November 10, 2009 Full article HERE

BALTIMORE, MD - Three Orthodox medics assert in discrimination charges filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, that the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company (PVFC) has illegally barred them from riding on calls, in violation of their religious rights and in retaliation for their involvement in an Orthodox emergency response organization. The medics - Dr. Matthias Goldstein, Brennan Gross, and Avrohom Green - were told last winter that because of their refusal to shave their beards on religious grounds, they could not ride with the company as medics. This, the PVFC claimed, was because the beards might prevent them from wearing specialized safety masks that it hopes to purchase at some future date.

    

Last year, in a similar case in the District of Columbia involving bearded Muslim firefighters, the federal appellate court for the District of Columbia ruled that the no beard rule was improper, and that the department should accommodate the firefighters’ sincerely held religious beliefs. Judge: Facial hair OK for now - Washington Times