Albuquerque, NM, fire chief, Union in contradiction to the outpatient clinic personnel

March 1 – The head of Albuquerque Fire Rescue speaks against the legislation of the city council supported by the fire brigade union, which would set a quota for the number of paramedics assigned to each ambulance.

The coordinations, which at the meeting of the Council members at the meeting of the Council members on Monday, must require all AFR stations on board the rescue unit – an ambulance that reacts in addition to firefighting engines to address advanced medical emergencies.

The measure appeared on Friday on the Council agenda, after AFR announced to make changes at several stations to have one paramedic on the ambulance and the other on the engine, which was already made in 2023 at two AFR stations and a long -term practice of the Bernalillo district in Bernalillo. The change replaces the second paramedic on the ambulance by a firefighter with a basic EMT training according to AFR.

AFR leader Emily Jaramillo said the dividing of the paramedics between the engine and the ambulance would leave a free for an emergency if the other was bound.

Jaramillo said she was not consulted by the resolution, which said that she could hinder AFR's efforts to increase the overall insurance of the paramedics in the city and to lead to longer response times. It was “a struggle of my entire career” to recruit paramedics, and it would further exacerbate their availability to demand two in every ambulance.

“As the fire brigade chief, my responsibility to make these critical life -saving decisions is not politicians,” said Jaramillo in a statement sent on Friday. “I have significant concerns that this proposed solution has a negative impact on public security and to expand our ability to expand the coverage of advanced life preservation (as) in the neighborhoods that you need most urgently.”

In the worst case, said Jaramillo, this could mean that a paramedic does not react to the emergencies of some stations. She said she would like to have six AFR stations – from 22 – each with a paramedic with an ambulance and engine and left 16 stations with two paramedics per ambulance.

Jaramillo said, although it is ideal, it is not necessary to have two paramedics on a rescue unit, and a paramedic is “as proven procedures” across the country.

The firefighting team, Iaff Local 244, said the plan of AFR, to take a paramedic from the ambulance at six stations, would lead to “potentially delayed life -saving interventions and supernatutations of the remaining paramedics”.

“Our community deserves the best available emergency care,” said Miguel Tittmann, President of Iaff Local 244. “This is a struggle for public security, and we ask the city council to stand by the firefighters who serve this city every day.”

When asked, Baca did not say why he did not consult Jaramillo before introducing the solution.

Baca said in an explanation: “As city councilors and representatives of the components, we have to listen to our unions. These firefighters are so much for our safety and our protection.”

Lewis said that he had advised Jaramillo about the resolution if “she” told her about her planned changes in advance.

Lewis shared the magazine Two-Paramedic Personal for the best possible emergency service and he was working with the administration to set up more stations and hire more doctors to further improve the response times. “

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