"ON THE ROAD AGAIN" willie nelson
There were two comments left on the post "I FEEL A WHOLE LOT BETTER" about EMS runs. look the first comment dealt with a person claiming if you sign-up for Obamacare all insurance companies in the pool must include EMS service, so am I to believe that now the city will not have to 'eat' the cost of people without insurance if everyone will be able to have health care? This would provide the city with much needed revenue in my eye.
The other comment was how Painesville EMS is being run ragged for taking people to Tri-Point Hospital (I see them all the time on Chestnut St. returning from Tri-Point) for anything from a hangnail, stomach ache, re wrap a wound, anything that most of us would take to our doctor, or have one drive us, might even drive ourselves to receive medical attention.
Now while I have been looking for AMP-OHIO stories in Ohio papers I found an interesting story in Fridays Columbus Dispatch concerning Columbus Fire Department test program looking for a solution to this problem.
The idea: Reducing the number of paramedics who respond to a routine call would allow the division to disperse medics elsewhere, providing better service to more residents and reducing overtime costs.
Of Columbus non fire emergency runs that total 125,000 nine out of ten were considered basic ones, or responses to calls such as a broken arm, sting, headache, hurt back or dislocation in which the patient is not in mortal danger.
Columbus present requirement that responses include one ambulance with two paramedics on board the ambulance and sometimes an engine of four firefighters, including at least one paramedic.
Painesville I believe sends an ambulance with two paramedics as well as a 'chase' vehicle with another paramedic.
Once a call is deemed a basic call the Columbus Fire Department sends one paramedic and an emergency medical technician. Not all firefighters are paramedics, jobs that require more training and certification.
The lower-staffing model has been adopted by many cities across the country, including Cincinnati and Dayton. The latter also uses part-time EMTs.
"This is not a reduction in service,"Fire Chief Greg Paxton said. "We want to evaluate a system that hasn't been reviewed in 17 years to make sure we are dispatching the appropriate number of paramedics to the appropriate level of emergency.
I guess what he means if there is a bad accident or someone suffering a stroke, he will send the Calvary. If you have a stomach ache well it's any lower level of service that is needed. Less manpower will be sent. This free's up staff for other emergencies.
A spokesman for the Department of Public Safety said Director Michell J. Brown is supportive of the pilot program and of examining new practices.
Just something for out Safety Director, Fire Chief, as well as our safety committee to consider.
Only one entity wasn't sold on this program. I'll let you guess.
posted by terminator1 @ 11:06 AM
21 Comments
21 Comments:
Oh great. First Obama and crew decides the level of care we will get. Now Term wants to decide if I need a doctor or not. What did people call that? Death Squad medicine.
Must provide EM transportation. There is abuse now. Require it for everyone and you think resources will be freed up? More services will be needed not less.
This is FREE? Source of income? What world do you live in.
Any "facts"?
Is that considered a type of triage? Where someone will make a determination whether my injury is serious enough or not? I don't know if that is OK to do or not and in a sense I think the city has tried to cut back on these unnecessary calls by speaking to various groups to try to get them on board and call their doctor or a relative to help them instead of EMS. Ms. Dinallo was a big proponent of this if I remember past meetings.
I'm not sold on the program as described here either - so that makes two of us.
1:00 The level of care and how much is presently determined by your insurance carriernot you or even your doctor. So I guess we should involve 3 paramedics everytime someone wants a ride to Tri-Point?
Death Squads? What you might have if EMS that are needed for an emergency are transporting someone to Tri-Point for a hang nail instead of attending to someone in an accident.
Nothings free your paying for it presently one way or another.
I guess the facts that if this can save money and resources for the fire dept. mentioned thats seems to be a 'fact'.
I guess my question to you Kathy is how would you like these basic calls handled? Someone calls 9-11 and tells them they have to go to the hospital because they need a wound re-wrapped?
The amount of people being sent on all EMS runs is beyond absurd, For those that refuse to look at the absusurdity, why doesn't Painesville send 30 on each one, they can send all those city electrical plant workers that are not on the payroll, do nothing except play hida and seek.
10:29 Yes it is absurd, and at the same time look at the push back?
The fire dept has always had three on the squad. Two in back and a driver. When the hospital moved, they had to look at a better way due to turnover time for a squad going to tripoint and back to the city. This left the city without coverage. So now they use two in the squad one in a chase car. When the squad heads to Er the chase vehicle is ready to support the second squad. The shift has five firefighters , doing thing the way the do they can legally can serve two squads. The state requires three to respond which we do and the only two need to transport. To do this any other way would need six on a shift, that is three fireman hired to cover all three shifts. The way we are doing this is saving use fees for three more personal. Which all of you complained we have too many now
I don't know the facts about how the fire department dispatches so I'll base my comments on your stats. You say Painesville dispatches 2 paramedics and a 3rd. in a "chase" vehicle to each call. I don't think that's unreasonable. I don't see the problem. Instead I see a big problem with the way the city is managed. The city manager is also the safety director, correct? And for how many years was the city aware of the hospital's intent to relocate, and eventual relocation, and of all the consequences? I want my tax dollars to pay for as many paramedics as it takes, and as many police officers as it takes, and I want them to have the best equipment out there. Screw the signs, flower pots, painted cross walks, manicured lawns, managers on top of managers, secretaries, clerks for secretaries, assistants, blah blah blah. In fact, I support running city hall on a part time basis. And no more pay or bennies for council people. Make that all volunteer. Look at the bigger picture. Where is the line item budget? Where are the cutbacks in overhead? Overhead as in all those working under the dome? Instead are suggestions on how to cut costs of our 2 most needed services, at the expense of us. You and me. Paramedics feel like a taxy service? No kidding. Deal with it. It's all part of the job. Consider yourself lucky that you have one. Pinesville is very low income - check the census. Too many people live under the poverty level. Too many are here illegally. Too many don't understand the 911 system is for emergencies, and the fire department is not their personal taxy service. I get that. What I don't get - where is the planning? Where is the emergency clinic - I mean a real one? Did we not see this on the horizon when the hospital announced it was moving to Concord? Did city management think somehow, a massive amount of its population would suddenly find transportation? Why couldn't a solution to this problem be addressed with LakeTran? Did anyone try? How about churches - again, did anyone try? Let me answer that -NO. Instead, lets cut the quality of our safety services to all our residents. Poverty creates a whole bag full of expenses for communities. People paying taxes can only afford so much. You can't keep raising taxes and you can't cut needed safety services. So, what does that leave?
At last nights council meeting the Fire Chief showed a graph where Painesville had received over $1,800,000 in payments for EMS service since 2009. I don't know if this is the total figure or only thru August of those years? No one on council asked, and we aren't allowed to ask questions.
Please I don't virw this as a windfall profit Painesville's EMS has been run ragged since WE lost the hospital. How do you lose a hospital?
The police and fire departments should continue to receive the general fund monies they are getting now, plus any money raised by the passage of levies. Then both departments can staff more for both their safety and ours. I wouldn't vote for either levy knowing their department budgets were not actually going to significantly increase. Holding flooding issues over a property owner's head to get a police or fire levy passed is just sad. Someone please tell me why we are actually paying these council people. Communities across the county are having flooding issues. I guess no one looked at stormwater runoff prior to developing. Now, we're all up the creek without a paddle so to speak. We pay into the county stormwater management program. Does that government agency help with flooding issues, or do they just watch the water flow on our tax dollars?
Kathy, she says it as plain as day watch the city council video, during visitors time.
POST 4:12 AND 7:43 DON'T bet, on seeing a council meeting, on channel 12. JOE HADA controls which meetings are shown on channel 12. REMEMBER JIM FODOR, wanted to correct the viewing on channel 12, 4 YEARS AGO WHEN HE BECAME A MEMBER OF COUNCIL IN " 2009" WE ARE STILL WAITING.
Love him or hate him Joe Hada will be gone in January 2014. I hope Mr Fodor or another Councilperson will bring up a motion to move Council Meeting to Harvey High School. Mr Hada was the biggest critic of the move.
The High School has a better sound system, better video display, theater style seating [with cushions], more handicap accesable and more parking. Some believe, Joe doesn't want us to be comfortable. Hmmm. What's not to like other than the name? [The Dr Handout Meeting room].
Hey Derrick if you're out there reading this post why not include this question [City Courtroom or HHS] in you Candidates Debate. I hope we are having a Debate.
I believe we did have a candidate debate in that room? Look I agree that would be a better place for council meetings. I believe the only issue would be scheduling and maybe safety?
Term, Kathy Sak & Absurd, IF you all think you can do a better job than the people serving the city then why dont you do it? You all complain and think things should be done different then why not make a difference and do something. To start, I suggest taking a ride along with the departments you continually bash. When you walk a mile in someone else's shoes you'll see what they have to deal with. Then maybe you'll shut your mouth and quit your bellyaching. I would love to spend the day at your places of employment to see the EXCELLENT job you do and hear you tell your boss all day how they should be doing everything your way.
5:50 will I get to hide on forgotten dead end roads, amazing how many city vehicles parked at Metro-Parks? Kathy you ever get comp time for volunteering? Me either. Truth be told the city employees really couldn't make it in the private sector. 30 and out or 53 years old? and the government wants to raise the age of our retirement?
When I first went to work in the city we had the worst paid jobs in lake county. The benefits we ok but 3.35 an hour to carryall gun and all the trouble that goes with the job. Worked two jobs to make ends meet, I made 3600.00 for a years wages . I had a family member who worked in industry driving a tow motor was making over 16000.00 a year with great benefit. Now city employees have made thing better and. All you do is gripe.. Apply for a job at the local city gov.. The you too could have a bunch of losers complain about you t. Have a great day
You never mentioned the year you started working for the city? The benefits are hardly O.K. they were great let's be honest. City employee's have made things better? I believe your unions have made things better,more honesty. Now here's where you make your mistake expecting people to continue your gravy train by calling them losers? Look most city workers do there jobs, the problem comes in when there isn't enough tax revenue coming in from the 'losers' Than what do we do cut police,fire? Outsource other jobs as bill collectors,grass mowing. It's not the 'losers' getting you.There tapped out. no money left. I predict all 3 levies will fail this November. What do we do then? Squeeze the 'losers' some more or make cuts?
I have never "bashed" city employees in my comments. I have "bashed" city council, and city hall. I have said in city hall, we have too many managers and employees considering the total population of the city. I am not counting utility workers - just support staff under the dome. Please do let me know which employee group I have "bashed." In fact if you read my posts I have said fire and police, if their levies pass, should get all the money generated by the levies plus their current general fund take. I have said we need as many police and firefighters as it takes. Anonymous 5:50 pm., clear this "ride along" with your department supervisor and then post here which department I need to show up at and I will meet your request. Anonymous 10:59 pm.,your post is well taken. You are correct - many years ago the best paying jobs were in industry and manufacturing. Government workers, in police, fire or clerical at city hall, were not good-paying jobs. Then the tides turned. Shareholders could no longer turn a high enough profit while still maintaining high wages and benefits in manufacturing, and the jobs floated overseas. At almost the same time, the powers that be decided if they increased the pay and benefits of public employees, they would attract the best employees the public had to offer. Now everything has shifted. Private sector jobs, in general, are paying less and offering less in the way of benefits. I'm speaking in general. But public employees are continuing to receive the same pay and benefits. The problem, as I see it, is how does a public continue to support their public employees in a manner that those employees have become accustomed, when they don't make the same high wages as they did when those public employees were given raises and better benefits? The city today finds itsself in this position today. When tax maney was coming in from the state, the federal government, the hospital or any number of other places, times were good. Now, times are not so good. Where does the city make cuts? I'm saying do not cut police or fire services. Make cuts in overhead, which would be city hall. I'm not bashing city hall employees - just making the point that I feel their positions should be cut before safety services. And I think council positions should be voluntary. City hall should adopt part time hours. And the city needs a line item budget. These 3 levies - police, fire and roads - would stand a better chance of being passed if the voters of the city didn't feel as though money was being spent on non-essential items. And - if I vote for a levy I want the money collected via that levy to go 100 percent to the department requesting it. Finally, I do believe you called me a loser. Yep, some days I do feel that way. But I've learned to deal with it. And I take lots of naps.
Kathy, It no sense trying to present facts to this entitled bunch. The will go the way of the textile, steel, and automotive jobs. They don't see the need for thinking outside the box. Look the one thing Painesville residents have going for them is that 85% of city employee's can't vote in the coming election. To bad.
Only the losers can vote.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home