D.C. EMS Personnel to be Sworn into Fire & EMS Department

It is being called "One force - One Standard" and is scheduled to be put in place within the next two weeks. DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and Chief Dennis Rubin announced Wednesday that the DC Fire & EMS Department will become "a fully integrated, all-hazards agency".

What this means is that 230 civilian EMS workers should soon get pay raises, a better retirement system and other benefits. Previously the EMS employees, also known as single-role providers, could only get this parity by training as firefighters and becoming dual-role providers.

EMS union president Kenneth Lyons told STATter 911 he was surprised by the announcement even though it was recommended by the panel looking into the death of former New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum died after being assaulted on a DC street in January, 2006. His care by fire, EMS, police and hospital workers was widely criticized.

While Lyons said the details still need to be worked out, he sees this as a "very good foundation and a positive sign".

Lyons was disappointed last year when Fenty followed the recommendation of the Mayor's Emergency Medical Service's Task Force and did not remove EMS from the fire department's supervision. The task force was lead by Chief Rubin. While campaigning for mayor, Fenty had committed to creating a separate agency.

The current EMS employees will still be able, if they desire, to train as firefighters. If not, they will get an orientation in what is being called "all-hazards operations". They will then function as "specialized EMS providers".

Chief Rubin said this plan will also bring the department under one rank structure and disciplinary process.