Pasadena looking in to ways to save $ in Fire Department

As we've reported before the city is facing deficit challenges, that like the state, have figures that are constantly changing (the latest worst-case estimate I've heard is a $30 million deficit over the next 18 months.)

As such, all city departments have been notified about needing to save money. The latest plan, which is just a proposal at this point, involves the Pasadena Fire Department's officers who are trained as paramedics. According to Fire Chief Dennis Downs who spoke with reporter Nathan McIntire, there is one officer trained as a paramedic per fire truck, who serves to assist in case of a medical problem.

To save money, the city would stop the officers from serving as paramedics and pay them as EMTs, which serve more as diagnosticians and first aid medics, rather than full paramedics. If necessary, a paramedic would be called in on an ambulance- this would probably be done anyway if a paramedic were needed in the first place, since a paramedic's services are provided to patients about to be hospitalized.

The savings would be about $60,000, according to Chief Downs.

The firefighter's union, which understandably does not want its members stripped of additional pay, has cried foul. Currently, they are asking for a chance to offer a counter-proposal, according to Downs.

I have to imagine that if an ambulance paramedic is not present on the scene and is running behind, there would be tremendous pressure on a firefighter trained as a paramedic to just go ahead and administer aid however he needed to. I don't know if that would be crossing a legal line or not.... we will be following up with the Fire Department to find some more details.

UPDATE: According to Downs, a firefighter trained as a paramedic would not be able to act as a paramedic because he would lack the equipment to do so. Downs also said it would be highly unlikely that an ambulance would not be on scene at the same time as a fire truck, since the department operates several ambulances with trained paramedics. Finally, he said he does not think this plan will actually happen- the alternative that the union suggests, he says, will likely be an across-the-board 1 percent pay cut for all fire department personnel.