Board cancels LifeScan contract, approves CareNow for NFPA firefighter physicals to increase access for volunteers

The Board voted to cancel an existing LifeScan contract for NFPA-compliant firefighter physicals and authorized a new contract with Northern Virginia CareNow Urgent Care LLC. Fire Chief Casares told the Board LifeScan’s on-site schedule limited volunteer participation and that approximately 80 of about 120 members were able to be captured last cycle. CareNow offered more flexible scheduling, including weekends and extended hours, and the hospital would conduct required stress tests.

Chief Casares said the goal is NFPA-compliant physicals for all "effective" firefighting members — both career and volunteer personnel who engage in interior firefighting — and noted the new approach is designed to raise participation by offering more dates and times. The proposed package was priced in line with other jurisdictions and can be adjusted by excluding optional tests (for example, nicotine testing) to keep per-person cost near prior levels.

Board action: By roll call the Board authorized cancellation of the LifeScan contract and then approved the CareNow contract; one supervisor recorded an abstention on the cancellation vote.

Why this matters: NFPA-compliant physicals are a recognized occupational-health standard for firefighters and can detect potentially life-threatening conditions; the change seeks to increase access for volunteers while preserving clinical rigor (hospital stress tests and EKGs were described as part of the process).

What’s next: The department will schedule physicals at CareNow with hospital coordination for stress tests and inform members of expanded opportunities for testing.