Paramedics from as far as Toronto are expected to be in Chatham-Kent today to join local EMS workers on the picket line.
Chatham-Kent Paramedics are set to meet at Chatham General Hospital and march to the Civic Centre today (June 13) for an information picket against the proposed amalgamation of services with the Chatham-Kent Fire Department.
Ken Stuebing, fire paramedic chief in C-K, provided a presentation last month to council outlining details about his proposed plan to amalgamate the two services.
A petition has been launched by paramedics in Chatham-Kent, which details their displeasure and strong opposition to joining forces with the firefighters.
Stuebing proposed three potential models for moving forward:
– 1) Model A – Status Quo: Chatham-Kent Fire and Emergency Services remains as is and EMS delivered by a third party service provider under contract to the Municipality. CK will remain one of the few municipalities in the province to employ this type of EMS service delivery model.
– 2) Model B – Direct Delivery Model: EMS delivered directly through the formation of a third emergency service of unionized municipal workers (Police, Fire and EMS under the municipal umbrella), managed and administered with an integrated Fire and EMS management team.
– 3) Model C – Direct Delivery Model: A fully blended, composite Fire and EMS service under one service delivery umbrella.
Stuebing said in his report a fully blended, composite Fire and EMS service under one service delivery umbrella (Model C) “results in the most savings and efficiencies with regards to both executive, administrative and front line staff.
“The development of a new emergency response organization that blends Fire and EMS into one composite organization with full-time staff that are cross-trained and able to respond as either a firefighter or a paramedic,” Stuebing said.
He added jurisdictions that have utilized some or all of this model effectively, include: Brandon and Thompson in Manitoba, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Strathcona County in Alberta and many other jurisdictions in the United States.
The petition, started by CK Paramedics Care2Petitions.com, has gathered just shy of 3,000 signatures as of Monday afternoon.
“Chatham-Kent Fire and Emergency Services has recently submitted a proposal to Council,” the petition states.
“It is attempting to create a blended Fire/EMS model within the Municipality. In Ontario, history has dictated that these models are doomed to fail. Likewise, amalgamations have statistically proven that delivery costs will eventually skyrocket.”
“Moreover, seasoned paramedics (who perform 20,000+ calls per year in Chatham-Kent) are at risk of losing their jobs. Paramedics endure a rigorous 2-year college program, and must pass a provincial exam, to obtain certification. They complete an annual recertification, and are closely monitored and audited by Base Hospital.”
The petition states “We highly respect and appreciate the dedication of our Firefighter colleagues. However, our two professions are not interchangeable. They utilize completely different skill sets. Both are vital in their own right, and, in our opinion, each workforce needs to remain true to itself, to enable the continuity in delivering optimal care.”
“When implementing a model of an emergency service, the safety of Chatham-Kent citizens is of the utmost importance. We believe that the recommended model, currently sitting before Council, could possibly jeopardize that. We are asking that you support a model of EMS delivery within Chatham-Kent which would remain independently managed, and separate from, the Fire Service.”
Reports say around 200 paramedics from Toronto, London, the Elgin area, Windsor and Lambton are expected to join the information picket on Monday.
– Watch for more on this story
