EMS poster boy Keith Rock's career may be over due to clunky boots

[CBEMT]

He was an EMS poster boy, but Keith Rock's career may be over because of a pair of clunky boots.

The 22-year veteran - who is so respected the FDNY put him on posters last year to mark Emergency Medical Service week - blames the mandatory boots for destroying the job he loved.

"I try to stay positive, but I can't even tie my shoes," the 50-year-old paramedic said in his Bronx home yesterday.

The awkward footwear was first given to EMTs and paramedics in 2006. Two years later, EMS workers were ordered to wear the Pro-Warrington boots - a pound heavier and more than an inch wider than their previous gear - all the time.

The "clown shoes" have been blamed for several falls - and Rock's is among the worst.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/01/05/2010-01-05_he_got_the_boots___it_cost_his_career.html

[Defiant1]

Would it be too hard for them to just give employees a uniform allowance or something like that to buy a pair of boots and then just have guidelines for the type of boots they're allowed to wear? :/ I mean I can understand the idea behind requiring everyone to wear the EXACT same type of boots, but if the boots have been causing people to trip and fall... isn't that just begging for OSHA to come in?

[Jeepluv77]

This is sad to read. I really hope this man is able to find solace somewhere. It's ridiculous to require a certain brand of boots. It sounds like there had already been problems with the boots before his accident. The agency should probably look into providing some form of compensation before this hits court because they'll be wiped out at that point. I guess we're blessed here to where whatever footwear we choose as long as it's within regulations.

[fireflymedic]

Uniform allowances are a wonderful thing. However, if things are purchased with uniform allowance, they typically aren't required to be returned upon employees termination, which company issued are so that new employees can wear hand me downs until their uniforms come in. I think that is much the reason for it - especially in departments where probationary people wear an entirely separate uniform than the "full" employee.

On that note though - not all styles of shoes, pants, etc will fit every person. What makes it fit one well is what makes it not fit another. That's why there's more than one style of pants made, and it's stupid of service directors to not realize this. It took me driving two hours to the supplier of our uniforms to try on about 10 different sizes and pairs of pants because they required us to have a certain brand of pants. Well none of them fit appropriately (I mean it was ridiculous, not even remotely close to fitting). I explained this to my director and it finally took getting the sales person on the phone to go listen we can't tailor these to fit her no matter how hard we try ! Finally he relented and gave them a price range to work with and said if you can find them to fit buy them. But it was a major issue. The following year we were given uniform allowances (too much bootie for the pants can be a good thing !) Also, found out that most of what I picked lasted better than what they supplied ! If making sure they have adequate uniforms give so much for shirts, so much for pants, etc and require a certain number of each be purchased within a type guidelines.

It's a shame he has gotten to this point. There's known issues with the type provided - I cannot help but wonder - if this were a piece of equipment that was causing issues they'd be all over it to fix it, but insted it's humans and they don't care. Sadly proves that people are disposable and that we value machine function over human function. It's a sad day indeed.

[Lisa O]

How sad... I really wonder how this will end. Poor guy loved his job soo much too!

[fireflymedic]

How sad... I really wonder how this will end. Poor guy loved his job soo much too!

Hopefully it will end with a termination of this stupidity by FDNY...One can only hope

[Dustdevil]

Would it be too hard for them to just give employees a uniform allowance or something like that to buy a pair of boots and then just have guidelines for the type of boots they're allowed to wear?

In New York, yes, it would be too hard. It's all about kickbacks up in Yankeeland. Some FD official got paid well to ensure that everyone bought a particular brand of boot, you can be sure.

[fireflymedic]

In New York, yes, it would be too hard. It's all about kickbacks up in Yankeeland. Some FD official got paid well to ensure that everyone bought a particular brand of boot, you can be sure.

Yeah for some bizarre reason everybody seems to think it's cool to say "FDNY wears our boots" - like their standard is better than any other. In fact the good service will say "we don't make you wear a certain boot - wear what fits !"

[itku2er]

In New York, yes, it would be too hard. It's all about kickbacks up in Yankeeland. Some FD official got paid well to ensure that everyone bought a particular brand of boot, you can be sure.

Ems like every other profession "if (insert person, organization etc) uses them then they have to be the best!" Just goes to show money talks and you know what walks...

[P_Instructor]

The whole 'have to wear what we tell ya' is a bunch of "Abundant Bovine Excretment". Let them wear what work for the individual as long as it matched the so called uniform requirement. They need to stick these boots up their ......... A loss of a good medic does not equal the cost of someones 'padded pocket' idea of what should be worn.