COUNTY EXECUTIVE RECOMMENDS FY09 AMBULANCE DESTAFFING
April 1, 2008
Dear Neighbor:
Emergencies we prepare for and respond to are not predictable. What is now predictable, however, is that the resources assigned to the Glen Echo Fire Department by Montgomery County are effectively “up for sale” in order to provide enhanced service elsewhere in the county.
In FY08, County Executive Isiah Leggett forwarded a Cost Savings Plan recommendation to County Council. It included the career destaffing of our ambulance on nights and weekends in order to provide career staffing for “flex” ambulance units elsewhere in the county. This recommendation was defeated unanimously by County Council.
For FY09, County Executive Leggett has recommended that the career staff on our ambulance during the night time periods be removed in favor of providing staffing for the new West Germantown Fire Station. We are adamantly opposed to this recommendation and are confident that there are other efficiencies yet to be realized or recommended in the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. In particular, those that do not impact existing frontline staffing and that do not deprive communities of current resources to enhance resources for other parts of Montgomery County.
For example, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Chief Tom Carr recommended to the County Executive that the second phase of four person staffing on fire apparatus be retained and implemented in the FY09 budget. Minimum staffing on fire apparatus is three personnel. The preservation and advancement of an enhanced staffing program for fire apparatus while concurrently destaffing ambulances does not make sense.
Chief Carr contends that “patient care would not be delayed.” This is clever wordsmithing. Our fire apparatus would be able to render patient care until the next closest ambulance would arrive. It obviously cannot take the patients to the hospital. We contend that definitive care – care rendered by hospitals - would be delayed. Many of our constituents are elderly and their medical conditions would dictate more rapid definitive care. Response times for ambulances from surrounding departments would not be acceptable.
Our volunteer cadre is growing in both quantity and quality. On the vast majority of nights, there is a volunteer in charge of patient care on our ambulance. The career fire fighter assigned to be in charge of patient care, in turn, rides the fire apparatus. Our program, therefore, is already consistently providing four person staffing at our station at no cost. We believe that Chief Carr should have asked us what our volunteer capabilities were prior to making recommendations to the County Executive.
Prior to the County Executive’s recommendations for FY08 and FY09, an argument could have been made that there the level of service you received was not proportional to the fire tax dollars you paid as part of your property taxes. The argument now is even more compelling.
We are committed to preserving the level of service you currently receive. Our mission has always been to protect you and now extends to protecting the resources you deserve.
How can you help?
First and foremost, give sacrificially now. The battle to preserve existing resources has been costly and has impacted our ability to improve the level of service we deliver. If we have to provide ambulance service ourselves at night, the only way to do so will be by relying on our volunteer cadre as well as by hiring our own employees. This would require us to double the donations we receive annually from you. We are also positioning ourselves to not have to be distracted from our core mission in the future by fighting this battle again. If the Montgomery County Council defeats County Executive Leggett’s recommendation, we will redirect any donations to purchase Advanced Life Support or paramedic level equipment to be placed on either the fire apparatus or the ambulance. You may donate through this web site.
Second, let your feelings be known. We have already asked the County Executive to reconsider his recommendation. Over 300 of you sent emails in January to help us avert the FY08 recommendation. The email address saveourambulance@gefd.org is directed to all Montgomery County Council members as well as to the County Executive.
Third, get involved. We encourage you to take ownership of this situation by becoming a volunteer with the department. Information is available on our web site, http://www.gefd.org. Our governing body, the Conduit Road Fire Board, is comprised of representatives of each homeowner’s association in our response area. If you would be interested in serving on our board, please email jeffrey.hearle@gefd.org.
We thank you for your support in the past, encourage your support now, and look forward to serving you for years to come.
The Members of the Glen Echo Fire Department and Directors of the Conduit Road Fire Board