? for those in Law Enforcement re Ashworth/Penn Foster & Kidney Failure

“Also, another question:

What are his chances of becoming an EMT (Paramedic)?

Does his kidney failure hinder him from getting a job doing this?

Im assumeing he cant be a Fire Fighter?

He has expressed interest in this field as well and I am wondering what sort of requirements they have.

Also, to be in the Military reserves, do they have as strict rules on this as all other branches of the military?

This sucks big time! You guys have been so helpful tho!”

Okay here is the straight dope. You are asking about a lot of “action packed” “God, Country and Glory” type jobs….probably because your fiancée is the kind of guy who wants the job excitement, wants to serve his community and wants to make a difference…am I correct?

If this is so I can somewhat relate. I am an officer because I feel it is a calling. There are others who feel called to do similar things that cannot be a police officer because of disabilities but still have a similar drive. To those people I suggest working:

1.) As a dispatcher…..these unsung heros are the hub that holds the police wheel together.

2.) A parole officer….kind of a quasi law enforcement, corrections and social worker type of role. Since your fiancée used to be in corrections, this would probably be right up his alley. http://www.srb.wa.gov/summary.html

3.) A probation officer….like parole, but without so many high risk felons….usually just budding felons. http://www.co.clark.wa.us/corrections/probation.html

4.) A Juvenile Justice counselor…like parole and probation, but with more of an emphasis on rehabilitation. http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/jra/funcchart.shtml

5.) A Private Investigator….generally used as and investigator for the defensive side of the court process or civil remedies.

6.) A court clerk….essential just like a dispatcher, but probably more of a 9 to 5 office job.

7.) A child protective service officer….a quasi investigative social worker. http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/ca/general/index.asp

8.) A private security officer….this is a wide ranging job from guys who barely control their drool sitting at a welcome desk in an office to ex-Navy Seal types killing terrorists in Iraq….and a lot in between.

9.) A counselor for chemical dependency or criminals….this is really a psychology type of field and at times may require a professional license and lots of formal education….but like anything may vary from state to state. http://www.doc.wa.gov/HRRecruiting/healthcare.htm#Psychologist
or
sex offender counselor….or nurse....or pharmacist…or OSHA safety officer…or correctional records…

My point…your fiancée is overlooking a LOT of jobs in criminal justice and corrections and courts etc…..I recommend doing some research, talking over the possibilities, heck, print this thread even. You may want to remind him that this is not an exhaustive list, it just scratches the tip of the iceberg and every one of these jobs is just as necessary to the community as that of a police officer. Also, don’t short change yourself in the education department….find a career that looks good, learn the requirements and shoot for it. After you have a goal, getting the right degree becomes a lot easier to answer.

Good luck.

 

Jessica, I spoke with my occupational medicine physician today; the one that does the medical exams for most of the local LEO agencies up here in Snohomish County.

She confirmed for me that it would be highly unlikely for any local agency to accept a candidate who had an organ transplant, even a kidney. The concerns are susceptibility to trauma, organ rejection and reduced resistance to disease as a result of taking the anti-rejection medications. There is also data showing that the 'average' renal transplant patient has many more sick days per year than the non-transplant patient. Consequently, someone with a kidney transplant would not be certified as 'fit for duty' as a patrol officer.

I suspect that the other local agencies will confirm this. If this is indeed the case, your fiance will need to start thinking about other options than a patrol officer.

 

I have a friend on a very similar situation to the one your fiancé is facing. So far he has had two kidney transplants and after his third kidney failure he is in need of a third transplant. When faced with the prospects of finding something realistic to do with his time that would allow him to earn a living while being on “permanent disability”, I recommended the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology - http://www.westlawn.edu/ - course in boat and yacht design. Accredited by the DETC is a pretty safe and inexpensive endeavor. Today he designs about four boats a year and averages an annual income of $45,000.00. I even have seen him “work” from his hospital bed at times when he has received in-patient treatment. Many other career options are available for the partially or totally disabled like Web Page Design, Computer Programming, Bookkeeping, etc. Furthermore, his disability might even help him get financial aid, grants, or scholarships, as well as some edge in qualifying for employment due to affirmative action.

Good luck and may god grant you the wisdom to do the right thing and the strength to follow through.

 

As usual, there is a ton of good information in this thread.

Not to "pile-on" the bad news, but I'll confirm it's highly unlikely, probably impossible, that someone with an organ transplant would be hired as an entry-level police officer. We had a detective that had a kidney transplant, and while he successfully fought to remain on the department, he was prohibited from leaving the police station, and was basically a glorified file clerk with a badge, until he retired a few years later.

However, as friendorfoe mentioned, there are many, many jobs in the Criminal Justice profession, other than police officer. We (police) are the most visible, simply because of the uniforms, guns, flashing lights, etc. I would recommend your fiancee look into dispatching. It's a hugely important function, as a dispatcher is literally the lifeline of the officers on the street, and it's also an up & coming profession, as many PD's are phasing out police officer dispatchers in favor of civilians, to put more officers on the street.

I wish your fiancee the best of luck, whatever his decision is!

 

Another career path worth considering is that of intelligence analyst. Larger LE agencies are using analysts for terrorism, narcotics and organized crime investigations. A friend of mine got a job as an analyst with the FBI last year. She loves the work, and the pay's not too shabby. You can learn more about this career field at the website of the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts.

http://www.ialeia.org/

 

Jessica,

I wish you and your Husband the best of luck. If your Husband should decide to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice (and knowing that money is tight right now for you two), I would recommend that he look at the online BS in Criminal Justice program offered through Peru State College. Peru is a regionally accredited college located in Nebraska. The tuition at Peru is only $114/credit hour, which is cheaper than some DETC schools!

http://www.hpcnet.org/peru/onlineeducation/bscj

As many people here have already mentioned, there are many fields available within the world of CJ. Perhaps your Husband would enjoy teaching CJ online? This would require at least a Bachelor's degree and 18 additional graduate level credits (with a Master's or PhD recommended). It's a long road, but it might prove to be very fulfilling.

Best of luck.

- Tom