Are anaphylactic food allergies a DQ?

[BigDenny]

I have severe food allergies to dairy products and peanuts. I was prescribed an epipen although I've never used it; I'm able to keep my allergies under control by prevention. Since this has the potential to develop into a life threatening condition, am I automatically DQ'd? I know this is a DQ for the military, and is unwaiverable with the recent boom in recruiting.

[icu650]

I would tend to believe that accepting you could cause a liability situation in the future. There is, however, no reason for you not to call any agency in which you are interested in and simply ask them. just call a nearby department . I am an old timer and maybe things have changed for the better for you. Good luck.

[GoDirectly2Jail]

Only the department and their physician would be able to answer with 100% certainty. You'd have to contact them. Good luck.

[BigDenny]

Thanks for the answers, I plan on contacting my local department after New Years. If I am ineligible to become a police officer, are there other jobs in law enforcement I might qualify for?

[GoDirectly2Jail]

There are lots of LE support positions (analytical, clerical, scientific, and other) that you would probably qualify for.

[Legoate]

I have an old partner with a horrible allergy to peanuts. She got hired without a problem. She failed to ever mention it to me....I only found out when I ordered her Kung Pao chicken at our favorite Chinese food place and watched her face puff up about 1 minute after taking her first bite of the chicken.

Nothing like putting your partner in the hospital with lunch.

Luckily, I got to take the Kung Pao chicken home and eat it. Got to look on the bright side.

[terminal.logic]

The issue is going to be specific to the department you are applying to. I can see the liability but in reality *I* wouldn't think it was a big deal. But again thats my opinion and not the opinion of the dept. you are applying at. I'm in the Southeast and it would be a non-issue in my dept. and surrounding agencies. If they turn you down find somewhere else.

[Gutwrench]

A candidate with any disability, like all other candidates, must be able to meet the dept's reasonable requirements for the job, such as education, training, experience, skills, etc. Furthermore any candidate with a disability must be able to perform the essential job functions and perform the fundamental duties either on their own or with the help of reasonable accommodations. I highly doubt a food allergy would qualify as a DQ. ADA assists in the setting of the rules of what is and what isn't a disability as well as other hiring procedures and the EEOC enforces them. Depts and their agency's HR dept are (or should be) well aware of these things.

I know of police officers hired with allergies and a variety of other issues but the key component is that their condition did not prevent them from performing the essential job functions or fundamental duties.

Good luck.

[Joeyd6]

I have food allergies and have been hired on the local, state and federal LE world without any incident.

[BigDenny]

Thanks for all the feedback, it's great getting information on this from real law enforcement professionals. Joey6: If I may ask, how severe are your food allergies? And are there any special precautions you take while on the job?