Adler lists solutions: reduce call volume, end fire promotion, EMS department
Adler says the city must reduce call volume by 10%, reclaim EMS members who went to fire, and reduce CFR use when not necessary. He also calls for ending the fire promotional pathway, public education on 911 overuse, and a serious conversation about an independent EMS department.
I think there have been solutions introduced.
The most important ones I would just like to list off in whatever time I have remaining because they are important and they are not being considered.
Everyone says, where is this $200 to $400 million to pay Finney EMS going to come from?
And the answer is we need to reduce call volume in this city by 10%.
That is in the citizen budget report.
We need to use medic and EMT units.
We need to use firefighter and EMT units, and we need to reclaim the EMS that have gone to fire to be a resource,
and we need to reduce CFR utilization except when necessary because it is more expensive to send five people that make $109K than send two people that make $57K.
This is all the 2018 Citizen Budget Commission, and I believe it should inform us where some of the money could come from and things that could be acceptable to the UFA and 2507.
Finally, I know I'm over time.
There is something called the Gilbay Malay proposal.
They are senior members.
They are paramedics.
Their first thing is well known to everybody.
We want to get Fidney EMS to 109K after five years.
of service or as close to, that is our conception of parity.
Two, we need to end the promotional to fire because people should not use our field as a stepping stone and it closes the gap and attracts people from other sectors that want to make a career.
Third thing, we need to educate the public on 911 overuse, abuse, and misuse because if the public is truly educated about what is 911 calls, we go from 6,000 calls to 3,000 and then it can be handled by the various
alignments we have.
Finally,
Brannan introduced the independent department of EMS on behalf and in solidarity with Local 2507 and 3621, not because anybody wants to wrench EMS out of the hands of the fire department,
but a serious conversation has to be had about 70 actors that are deploying ambulances, four sectors, 10 unions.
And if we do not force that conversation through a department of EMS that does not necessarily need to command and control all ambulances, then we are
creating piecemeal solutions, which respectfully, Chair Areola, I understand what your local laws do.
They create accountability.
They create structure.
But our men and women are dying.
Our citizens are dying.
And it feels often like the city and OLR and the mayor is dancing in a circle around us.
Sorry to go over.