Conn. Fire Department Lacks Paramedics to Staff New Trucks

Jan. 19--NEW HAVEN -- The Fire Department has purchased new paramedic trucks as part of a year-old plan to double its advanced life support medical units.

But the trucks can't be put in service because the department doesn't have enough paramedics to staff them.

The plan is to decommission Engine 8, one of two fire engines stationed at the Whitney Avenue firehouse, and add two emergency units. But to staff four medical units adequately, the department would need between 20 and 23 paramedics. It currently has 16, with three others trained but awaiting final certification.

"Staffing is what I need. That's the thing that is preventing this from occurring," said Fire Chief Michael Grant. "That's a situation that's not in my control. It's not in control of the Fire Department right now."

Department brass had expected to have the new emergency trucks in service last summer. Ideally, a planned fire academy class this year would include some paramedics, Grant said, but there's no guarantee, leaving any timetable for adding the two emergency units unclear.

The aim is to enhance the department's EMS capacity to better address the increasing number of medical calls and declining number of fire calls to which the department responds, Grant said.

The emergency units would each be staffed with two firefighers, one a paramedic and the other an EMT, and be able to provide advanced life support treatment before an AMR ambulance arrives.

The department plans to maintain one fire ambulance capable of transporting patients. The other three would be four-wheel-drive pickups. Each fully-stocked truck costs the city about $50,000, far less than what a new ambulance would, Grant said.

A new fire engine could cost $500,000.

The plan was not entirely popular in the East Rock neighborhood. The Whitney Avenue firehouse historically has had two engines, Engine 8 and Squad 1, and residents worried that eliminating one could extend response times and put lives and property at risk.

Fire officials sought to reassure the neighbors and said the change was being made to adjust to new realities in the fire service.

With new, stricter fire codes nationwide, fire calls consistently have decreased in recent decades. At the same time, as more fire departments became "first responders" for medical calls, they now account for an increasing percentage of total calls.

That has held true in New Haven, where EMS calls account for about 80 percent of total calls.

East Rock Alderman Justin Elicker said he was "confident" the new emergency units would ultimately go into service and Engine 8 would be retired.

"My main concern (last year) was the process that was used to make the decision, showing up at a neighborhood meeting, say that 'We're going to do something that could significantly affect your neighborhood,' and then tell you the decision has been made."

He later had conversations with other aldermen and didn't sense much support for fighting the plan.

"There was not the concern about Engine 8 being retired, so it was difficult," he said.

Copyright 2012 - New Haven Register, Conn.