IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA, MOST AMBULANCE TRANSPORTS are handled by Rural/Metro, the private firm contracted by the city. But about 5% of the emergency transports are done by fire department ambulances that are dispatched to critical calls such as heart attacks and strokes. The FD ambulances usually arrive several minutes before the Rural/Metro amb. does and in many instances the paramedics initiate the transport.
Orlando Sentinel photo of Rural/Metro ambulance
Now with a budget deficit that needs to be eliminated, Mayor Buddy Dyer has a plan to shut down the FD ambulances and move the paramedics over to engine companies who are currently the 1st-responders anyway for critical life-threatening calls. His proposal would not only save on the expense of operating the ambulances, but would allow him to lay off 46 firefighters. In addition, he wants to also eliminate the 24 postitions that are currently vacant as well.
But the union believes that this threat to reduce needed medical services to a city that has a high number of elderly residents is only a bargaining tactic to coerce the firefighters into taking a wage cut.
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting:
The cuts aren’t a done deal. Dyer is talking with the labor union that represents city firefighters about possible wage and benefit concessions that could save enough money to prevent layoffs and save the ambulances.
But some drop in service is almost certain.
The city is eliminating Fire Department overtime pay, so it won’t be able to bring in extra firefighters to cover for those who are out sick or on vacation — an everyday occurrence in a department with more than 500 firefighters. So administrators plan to take trucks or ambulances out of service each day, depending on the number of absences.
The mayor’s administration wants to slash about 10% of the entire city’s workforce. Eliminating 46 firefighters, eight rescue ambulances and one ladder truck would save $4million annually, according to the mayor’s office.
Read the entire story in the Orlando Sentinel HERE.
