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Firehouse.Com News

The city of Talladega, Alabama is eliminating its paramedic department including 12 EMTs as of Sept. 15. The town of 19,000 will turn over EMS to Medic One, a private ambulance service currently handling non-emergency transport in the area.

At the same time, Reading, Pennsylvania, facing the loss of private American Medical Response ambulance service Dec. 31, plans to create a city-run EMS for the city's 72,000 people.

Talladega merged the fire and EMS departments in February creating the Talladega Fire/Rescue Department. The service area covers 24 square miles. Mayor Charles Osborne said the leading factor in eliminating city-run EMS was cost. They hope to save over $250,000 per year with the change, he said.

Also important Osborne said, was Medic One's commitment to provide jobs for the current EMS personnel. Medic One will purchase the city's equipment, use the same dispatch service and is very familiar with the area, he said.

Tony Edwards, Director of EMS, said the city has been handling EMS since 1974 and did not know why the change was being made. He is leaving the city government to search elsewhere for EMS work. He said three of the paramedics will have the opportunity to work for the fire department but may take a cut in pay.

Two-year paramedic Kevin Sturdivant, 28, said the staff received the notice Sept. 1. There has been no indication of other jobs with the city or Medic One being made available to him, he said, although he currently works part time for Medic One.

Mayor Osborne said the city created an EMS unit soon after Gurley Ambulance Service went out of business in 1974. "Back in those days ambulances looked like hearses. We had no one else to turn to." Osborne's first term as mayor was in 1975.

"We began a full paramedic unit adding EKG and defibrillation equipment. I helped build it. I have a soft spot in my heart for it," Osborne said.

Talladega has passed a strict ordinance outlining the performance they expect from Medic One. Dr. Harold Benson owns Medic One and also operates EMS for Morgan County, Miss.

AMR is leaving Reading for economic reasons. The city council adopted a resolution Aug. 28 accepting a proposal by Reading Fire Chief William H. Rehr III to create a city-run service.

Under Rehr's plan, 29 EMS personnel would comprise a department separate from but working co-operatively with the cities 100 firefighters to cover nine-square miles in the area.

Rehr proposed staffing three ALS units around the clock plus a BLS unit ten hours per day, five days per week. They would also operate three wheelchair vans eight hours per day, five days per week.

Some of the ambulances would be purchased from AMR and some would be leased. By using the existing fire department, vehicle housing and dispatching were cost items the city could easily avoid.

Chief Rehr's proposal has the department in the black, collecting revenue on non-emergency hospital transport and Medicare reimbursements.

City Clerk Linda Kelleher said the council checked with many jurisdictions and found conflicting advise on running their own service and making money. "We were told you have to work hard at it, be involved with everything in the community," she said.

Reading City Councilman Jeffrey S. Waltman Sr. said they didn't want to end up again, where they were when AMR dropped the city. "I've seen firemen in action. Firefighters have a lot of conviction in what they do," he said.

All of the city firefighters are trained EMTs but the council decided to created a new department for EMS with it's own personnel.

He felt bringing EMS into a government structure was the best way to go. "We have to find the right level of cost to get the best value you can," he said. "I've always been impressed with the firefighters."