Budget Watchdog Pushes for Reorganizing FDNY to Deal With Medical Calls

[x635 4,066]

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As the role of the New York City firefighter has evolved to include more emergency medical care, budget watchdogs have been calling for a reorganization of the fire department. Union officials, however, argue that the current structure is working fine.

 

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/budget-watchdog-pushes-for-reorganizing-fdny-to-deal-with-medical-calls-1486216800

[Morningjoe 162]

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[x635 4,066]

8 hours ago, Morningjoe said:

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Sorry, this is as much as I can get without subscribing.

 

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As the role of the New York City firefighter has evolved to include more emergency medical care, budget watchdogs have been calling for a reorganization of the fire department. Union officials, however, argue that the current structure is working fine.

 

After emergency medical services merged with the fire department in 1996, firefighters began responding to the highest-priority medical calls. In those 20 years, medical emergencies have grown to 47% from 31% of the calls that firefighters respond to.

 

A 2015 report by the nonprofit, independent Citizens Budget Commission made several recommendations, including training firefighters to be emergency medical technicians and eventually reorganizing the department so fully “cross-trained” personnel could respond to all fire and medical emergencies, said Maria Doulis, the group’s vice president.

 

The unions representing emergency medical services staff members and firefighters don’t agree. Bob Ungar, spokesman for the emergency medical-services unions, said having both firefighters and emergency-medical technicians is best for New Yorkers, who come from so many different backgrounds and have so many medical needs.

 

Jim Slevin, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, called for increasing the number of both firefighters and emergency medical personnel.

 

 

[M' Ave 1,466]

This is pretty old info being rehashed.  There is no official discussion of any changes.......THANKFULLY.  Our structure and staffing, on both the fire and ems side, are our greatest asset

[tbendick 27]

Old news. 

 

https://cbcny.org/advocacy/cbc-report-calls-transforming-fdnys-response-medical-emergencies