"firefighters have really taken advantage of 9/11..."

[ma2359]

"The firefighters have really taken advantage of 9/11 and what happened then and capitalized on it and the emotion," Janet Long said Monday during a meeting with theTampa Bay Times editorial board.

Read the full story there... and then of course comment on it here.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article1250816.ece

[emtdennis]

The story does leave out a couple of things.

Is Sunstar Ambulance a private or municipal operation?

What capability does the fire dept have for medical assistance?

Do they want to take it over entirely or just provide assistance?

I do agree FFs have more horsepower when it comes to getting stuff from the community, The ambulance companies need to do some more PR work and really toot their own horns.

I think Janet Long's comment was made in desparation because of the closeness to 9/11. FFs as a brotherhood were hurt in 9/11 but so were EMS/EMTs, Cops and many others. She locks into FFs, becauser that is who she has issue with.

Just my .02

[Guest ~~~]

184 military personnel, 8 EMTs/Paramedics from private agencies, 60 police officers, 343 nyc firefighters/paramedics passed away in the 9/11 attack. They all did their part and served properly, along with laying down their lives for us. Everyone should be forever greatful for what they did, and always remember them and that should be that. What went down on 9/11 shouldn't be used for someones gain, nor should it be used to critize an idea.

"Her comments came while discussing the issues of fire and emergency medical service delivery in Pinellas. Long criticized a plan by two firefighters to allow firefighter/paramedics to take patients to the hospital. She said she was unsure if the two understood all that the Sunstar ambulance service does and whether fire departments could do the same." - Simple answer: Train them, remember Long said that the firefighters "have too much time on their hands".

[Richard B the EMT]

PattonEMT, perhaps I misread what you posted, but, for the record, my FDNY lost 343 members, 340 Fire Fighters, Lieutenants, Captains, Chiefs, and the Chief of Department, 2 Paramedics, one of which came onto the job with me, in my EMS Academy class, and Father Judge. Even if members of the FDNY have cross training from outside the NYC 9-1-1 system, EMTs and Paramedics are not Fire Fighters, and Fire Fighters, even if trained to EMT or Paramedic level, if assigned to Engine Companies, only operate to Certified First Responder-Defibrillator level of "Scope Of Practice".

[Guest ~~~]

PattonEMT, perhaps I misread what you posted, but, for the record, my FDNY lost 343 members, 340 Fire Fighters, Lieutenants, Captains, Chiefs, and the Chief of Department, 2 Paramedics, one of which came onto the job with me, in my EMS Academy class, and Father Judge. Even if members of the FDNY have cross training from outside the NYC 9-1-1 system, EMTs and Paramedics are not Fire Fighters, and Fire Fighters, even if trained to EMT or Paramedic level, if assigned to Engine Companies, only operate to Certified First Responder-Defibrillator level of "Scope Of Practice".

My numbers were off then. When I put "firefighters/paramedics" I mean't firefighters and paramedics, I just tried to cut back on it a bit. Sorry for the misleading post !

Edited September 13, 2012 by PattonEMT

[Richard B the EMT]

No problem. I thought you were saying "Fire Fighter-Paramedics" a "creature" that doesn't exist in the FDNY.

[Arctickat]

Only 2 medics? I had heard somewhere that there were 9. Might have been Wiki though and one can never believe that.

[Bieber]

I won't regurgitate my same old feelings about fire-based EMS, but I will say that as we grow ever closer to health care reform and, more importantly for us, ambulance billing schedule reform, I imagine that the battle for possession of ambulance service contracts will grow ever more heated and the competition will be fierce. Do we, as a profession, have the balls to hold onto EMS and keep it ours? Or will we become "Fire and Rescue"?

Edited September 13, 2012 by Bieber

[Just Plain Ruff]

I think we will become Firesqems That's what we will become. But that will only be one step short of the borg and Dammit Biebs - You WILL be assimilated, whether you like it or NOT!!! Why fight it, Assimilation is inevitable, resistence is fUUtile, They are the borg, you will serve the borg, you will be added to the borg.

[Bieber]

No! Nooooooo!

I will not sacrifice the Enterprise EMS. We've made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds ambulance services and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done.