tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446403371083163908.post5068707142244264156..comments2023-07-11T06:12:24.018-04:00Comments on ULSTERTAX: Message to City of Kingston - More Fire Companies CUT OUT MEDICAL CALLSRalph Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16266194916477709446noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446403371083163908.post-86624635674560399292009-11-30T15:16:28.653-05:002009-11-30T15:16:28.653-05:00Yes it is true. Many fire companies only respond ...Yes it is true. Many fire companies only respond to some medical calls. It is what is known as a teir two response. For example the FD is only dispatched when there is chest pains, difficulty breathing, car accident with entrapment etc. For routine, medical calls, ambulance only. The reason KFD does not want to go to that type of a response is to keep their numbers up. They love to talk about how the respond to 3-5 thousand calls a year. The real question is, did they really need too? Kind of doubt it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446403371083163908.post-26689488365874718622009-11-27T23:57:07.625-05:002009-11-27T23:57:07.625-05:00To 10:00PM,
I shared your information by posting ...To 10:00PM,<br /><br />I shared your information by posting it on Rich Cahill's blog<br />CAHILLONKINGSTON.BLOGSPOT.COM.<br /><br />By the way, the readers of this blog my like to know that the web site for the Kingston Professional Fire Fighters is ----------> www.kpffa.orgRalph Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16266194916477709446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446403371083163908.post-51338817326152926282009-11-27T22:00:36.376-05:002009-11-27T22:00:36.376-05:00from KPFF Union website:
from 2000-2007, 59.65% o...from KPFF Union website:<br /><br />from 2000-2007, 59.65% of all calls logged were ems.<br /><br />from 2000-2007, 2.9% were actual fires.<br /><br />***<br /><br />We contract with Mobile Life, Hudson Valley, Diaz ambulances and others to also go to the medical calls. <br /><br />WHY? Because KFD dispatchers are making the calls. If county 911 was handling things - like in most other counties (including those with cities as their county seat) - it wouldn't be an issue. <br /><br />If you want to pay ambulance companies, make them work for their money. If you want KFD to do the job, then make them work for theirs. The other entity can be available in the case of mutual aid... like everywhere else in the firematic world.<br /><br />Move dispatch responsibilities over to county, choose fd or ambulance to respond to ems, and reduce the shift and the pay of the kfd. Then give non-monetary incentives to beef up the volunteers and set an all volunteer shift.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446403371083163908.post-15219586665735470232009-11-19T08:35:10.906-05:002009-11-19T08:35:10.906-05:00There is a middle road to this. The Fire Departmen...There is a middle road to this. The Fire Department can also switch to responding to Life Threatening Emergencies only. This is done by some depts in the county and helps to lower the call volume. This will eliminate calls for people that just want a taxi ride to the hospital. Take that and lockouts away from the city's response and you will find shutting down a firehouse to be a very easy proposition. <br /><br />The the fire chief doesn't like that than tell him you are shutting down the hosue anyway and that he is more than welcome to use volunteers in their place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446403371083163908.post-15159810970524457222009-11-19T08:19:21.175-05:002009-11-19T08:19:21.175-05:00To 7:39AM,
This morning on Kingston Community Radi...To 7:39AM,<br />This morning on Kingston Community Radio (KCR) on WGHQ radio, I asked Al Teetsel, Kingston Ward 1 Alderman, if the SafetyNet problem came up during this year's budget discussion on the City Finance Committee, on which he is a member. He said no and that he did not know the latest status of the proposal to have Ulster County pick up part of the Safetynet Welfare costs which the City of Kingston pays 100%. Al said that he would check with former Kingston Alderman Maryann Parker about her knowledge of the Safetynet issue. Bottomline, it appears the present Kingston Council is not including this including this Safetynet issue in the 2010 City budget discussions.Ralph Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16266194916477709446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446403371083163908.post-59045418715521208642009-11-19T07:39:30.026-05:002009-11-19T07:39:30.026-05:00So let me get this straight, in these economic tim...So let me get this straight, in these economic times, you are advocating that the FD does less work? You have trained personal strategically located throughout the city and you don't want them to help the citizens because you feel the cost of the diesel used to run those calls is going to bankrupt the City? In your article (nicely highlighted by the way) it doesn't state whether the depts listed are paid or volunteer. I would guess they are volunteer because they have the OPTION to respond. I imagine they have the same OPTION to respond to other calls in the middle of the night or during foul weather. The EMS program is cost effective. Why attack depts that actually work well. Focus on the SafetyNet program.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com