The Owen Sound Professional Fire Fighters Association says their training would be wasted if the City scales back its full tiered response.
You may have received a flyer from the Fire Fighters Association — urging you to contact City Council members prior to tonight’s vote on the tiered response model.
President Dave Cruickshank tells Bayshore Broadcasting News the plan doesn’t make sense.
He notes they are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and available to respond to numerous emergencies.
But under the plan — firefighters will no longer automatically respond to 20 ‘less serious’ medical calls from 6 AM to Midnight — including drug overdoses and child birth.
Fire fighters can be called by paramedics if need be — but Cruickshank notes time is of the essence and that may be an extra 4 to 5 minutes that a patient doesn’t have.
The City is expected to save 10 to 15 thousand dollars — but Cruickshank argues that won’t affect the tax rate.
Council has said the paramedics agree a full tiered response by firefighters is unnecessary — but Cruickshank says they have talked to paramedics who support their fight.
Cruickshank believes they have a lot of support for Monday’s meeting as many of the people they have talked to support maintaining a full tiered response model.
