Joint fire and ambulance service call wrangle

[CBEMT]

Calls for a joint fire and ambulance service have been made by the convenor of Grampian Fire and Rescue.

Councillor Mike Raeburn has argued it would save the taxpayer money.

However, the Unison union, which represents paramedics and ambulance technicians, and the Fire Brigades Union, have dismissed the idea.

They said it showed a lack of understanding of the specialist roles involved. The Scottish government said it was not considering a merger.

Councillor Raeburn said: "You dial 999 if you crash your car and who turns up? A fire engine and an ambulance.

"Why are they sent from different locations? Why are they sent from different control rooms? Why are they maintained by separate organisations? It's completely unnecessary."

'Scoop and run'

However, Sarah Duncan from Unison said: "The Ambulance Service is an integrated part of the NHS and provides patient care. It's not a scoop and run service to take people to hospital.

"People are treated in ambulances by highly skilled, very qualified staff."

Cllr Raeburn has offered Grampian as a test ground for merging emergency services but this has also courted controversy.

Alan Paterson, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union in Grampian, said: "Mr Raeburn doesn't have any authority to actually volunteer Grampian Fire and Rescue Services for these duties."

Mr Raeburn does however claim that he discussed the proposals with his chief fire officer David Dalziel.

He said: "It's something that has been explored by the Association of Chief Fire Officers in Scotland and they were taking it forward and unfortunately it was dismissed out of hand."

Grampian Fire and Rescue Services refused to comment on whether Mr Dalziel had discussed merging services in the area.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8643569.stm

[Chief1C]

About the only nice thing, of having it all under one roof, is an unlimited supply of manpower. The bad part, the ambulance people are always around. So, when there's a fire dept. fundraiser, who does all the work? The ambulance people, who doesn't prosper from it??? The ambulance people. What pays all the bills? The ambulance. Who brings in more money? The ambulance. Ohhhh that's why they want the ambulance.

[Dustdevil]

Councillor Raeburn said: "You dial 999 if you crash your car and who turns up? A fire engine and an ambulance.

"Why are they sent from different locations? Why are they sent from different control rooms? Why are they maintained by separate organisations? It's completely unnecessary."

Ignorant a-hole.

Hey, ya know, the council and the legislature pretty much duplicate the same function. How about we just eliminate the councilmen? They're completely unnecessary! How about that, Councillor Raeburn? Does that make the situation any clearer to you?

Sounds like someone's been watching too much American television.

[Richard B the EMT]

About the only nice thing, of having it all under one roof, is an unlimited supply of manpower.

That may be the situation where you're at. Not mine.

I am in a paid department (already a possible difference?), with Fire Fighters, and an EMS area with EMTs and Paramedics. "Fire" does fires, rescue, and First Response on high priority medical calls. EMS does EMS. Nobody is utilized as cross trained, at least in-house, even if they might do such outside my agency.

We also have EMS field-stage between calls, so we EMSers are only at "the house" at shift change, doing Blood Borne Pathogen De-con, restocking, refueling, washing the vehicle, and even once in a while, eating at "the house". Sometimes on day tour (tour 2) on weekends, we'll be called back to the house to sweep or mop, at the EMS supervisor's discretion, and suggestion of the engine and/or ladder company officer(s).

I have to mention: in the FDNY, we only have a few "combined " houses such as mine (engine/truck/battalion chief/4 BLS 2 ALS & supervisor EMS), the majority are engine, truck, engine/truck, or engine/truck/battalion chief, and EMS only.

While not my house, but in my primary response area, we have one house with 2 engines and a truck company. Before the combined house was built, my then EMS only station would have me fuel up there.