Baltimore City Fire Department

[hp1530]

Very well put Ed. EMS may not be liked by many but sometime in the future more EMT/Paramedics will be needed.

[PFDEng1]

[quote name='Crossbronxxpress' post='120767' date='Jun 19 2007, 18:20 ']Hopefully, when the Brothers at Truck's 1 and 2 receive their new rigs, they will modify the ladder boards themselves.[/quote]



I don't think the department will allow the companies to mess with the EMS lettering on the ladder boards. The only modifications the "City" will allow

is to add the company patch to the open space on the boards. But on my pics it will easily be removed in PhotoShop!

[hungrybus]

You mean, like this Jeff.

[hungrybus]

Here's a different version for Truck 2

[Guest]

Ed and all... I think BCFD and Philly where two of the first Cities to take EMS and run with it back in the late 60's or 70's. SINCE it has been around for 30 + years I think just removing it will be hard. Weather you divide and make a SEPERATE agency or realine it under FD Better will be hard.



Here in my town we have a Police Dispatcher and a County 9-1-1 service that can handle FD-PD-EMS BUT some town Chief's of Police would loose budget money if they "give up" the Communications part and just let the County handle it... As it is, We get dispatched by County then do all Communications with the Local PD... NOT ALL FD's Do this but some still do.



Just another spin on how things are messed up around the county's Fire Service. <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[Guest]

[quote name='edburke' post='120811' date='Jun 19 2007, 19:24 ']I've been saying since the mid 80's that EMS has no place in the fire department, and 20 years later, I still believe that. I do not know of anyone that joined the fire department to go on medical runs, and my statement was made out of selfishness when I was dropped from 2nd on a list to 103rd for a fire job because I wasn't an EMT. Now, I look at it from the selfishness of having had the local fire department make multiple runs at taking my job as an EMT away, and forcing those who joined to fight fires into doing more medical runs, as the primary EMS provider, which they most likely don't want to do. In places like Baltimore, where fire and EMS have been run by the same agency since before the publishing of the White Paper, it's not as black and white, but the fact remains that EMS's role continues to increase, while fire call load continues to decrease in those departments that have provided both services historically, which does warrant recognition of the emerging predominant service of the fire department. I'm not sure how the budget line items work in Baltimore, but fire duty generally does not provide billable revenue, but EMS work does. If anyone has the run numbers from last year, did Trucks 1 & 2 do more fire duty or EMS work, and where was the majority of generated revenue that was put back into the city coffers? From fire duty or EMS work? I know we're talking about a tax base here, but if you look at offsetting funds, EMS most likely contributed more cash towards purchasing these rigs than fire duty, so why shouldn't it receive some recognition? The way fire prevention is going, 20 years from now you may just see a name change to the Baltimore City EMS and Fire Department, as it will be the better description of the work done by the members.[/quote]



The fire calls don't generate any monies from billing, but by protecting the city's tax base from burning up, they keep the city's coffers full of tax revenues. The EMS billing monies are a drop in the bucket compared to the loss of tax monies.

[edburke]

[quote name='Fireman5230' post='120889' date='Jun 20 2007, 09:08 ']Ed and all... I think BCFD and Philly where two of the first Cities to take EMS and run with it back in the late 60's or 70's. SINCE it has been around for 30 + years I think just removing it will be hard. Weather you divide and make a SEPERATE agency or realine it under FD Better will be hard.



Here in my town we have a Police Dispatcher and a County 9-1-1 service that can handle FD-PD-EMS BUT some town Chief's of Police would loose budget money if they "give up" the Communications part and just let the County handle it... As it is, We get dispatched by County then do all Communications with the Local PD... NOT ALL FD's Do this but some still do.



Just another spin on how things are messed up around the county's Fire Service. [/quote]



I'm not supporting taking EMS out of the FD in Baltimore. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, but I think the recognition of the increasing significance of EMS is both important and long overdue. Putting it on the ladder board is NOT a travesty in my opinion, as others seem to believe it is.

[Guest]

[quote name='edburke' post='120894' date='Jun 20 2007, 10:06 ']If it ain't broke, don't fix it,[/quote]







'Nuff Said

[edburke]

[quote name='Jaws' post='120890' date='Jun 20 2007, 09:31 ']The fire calls don't generate any monies from billing, but by protecting the city's tax base from burning up, they keep the city's coffers full of tax revenues. The EMS billing monies are a drop in the bucket compared to the loss of tax monies.[/quote]



SIGH! The fact remains that fires are decreasing, which means that they are doing less to keep the city's tax base from burning up, and fire prevention is doing more to put firefighters out of jobs. EMS, on the other hand, is responding to more calls every year nationwide. You talk about a drop in the bucket, given the size of Baltimore, I would assume that it's probably 30-40 million dollars of billable revenue that's generated annually. Unless a fire resulted in the company moving out of town, the taxes would be the same, burnt out building or not-someone is going to be paying property taxes based on the City's valuation (which usually doesn't take the condition of the building into account) of the property no matter what.

[Citywide 231]

Does anyone know why they went with Pierce this time? They keep bouncing back and forth between Pierce and Seagrave, and I had always thought the dept was a big fan of Seagrave rigs.

[edburke]

[quote name='Rescue29Engine23' post='120896' date='Jun 20 2007, 10:12 ']'Nuff Said[/quote]





Hmmmmmmmmm.....I'm not sure how to take that, as it's quoted out of context.

[Guest]

[quote name='edburke' post='120898' date='Jun 20 2007, 10:15 ']SIGH! The fact remains that fires are decreasing, which means that they are doing less to keep the city's tax base from burning up, and fire prevention is doing more to put firefighters out of jobs. EMS, on the other hand, is responding to more calls every year nationwide. You talk about a drop in the bucket, given the size of Baltimore, I would assume that it's probably 30-40 million dollars of billable revenue that's generated annually. Unless a fire resulted in the company moving out of town, the taxes would be the same, burnt out building or not-someone is going to be paying property taxes based on the City's valuation (which usually doesn't take the condition of the building into account) of the property no matter what.[/quote]



Problem is that in Baltimore, as is the problem in many old worn out cities, those using the vast majority of the EMS service are not able to pay out of pocket nor do they have insurance. Also in Baltimore as in most urban areas , the majority of the calls do not, in all honesty, require E-M-S. They are taxi runs.

[edburke]

[quote name='WAGONMAN' post='120907' date='Jun 20 2007, 10:59 ']Problem is that in Baltimore, as is the problem in many old worn out cities, those using the vast majority of the EMS service are not able to pay out of pocket nor do they have insurance. Also in Baltimore as in most urban areas , the majority of the calls do not, in all honesty, require E-M-S. They are taxi runs.[/quote]



Just like here in Boston...........but we collect on indigent/uninsured patients, as every state has a free care pool to deal with these situations



Actually, Massachusetts just passed a law that all residents MUST have health insurance, which has resulted in low cost alternatives being made available. Don't know how this is going to affect EMS, but if it works, it could be a model system.

[hp1530]

[quote name='WAGONMAN' post='120907' date='Jun 20 2007, 07:59 ']Problem is that in Baltimore, as is the problem in many old worn out cities, those using the vast majority of the EMS service are not able to pay out of pocket nor do they have insurance. Also in Baltimore as in most urban areas , the majority of the calls do not, in all honesty, require E-M-S. They are taxi runs.[/quote]



I think its like that in many of the major cities.



[quote name='edburke' post='120909' date='Jun 20 2007, 08:04 ']Just like here in Boston...........but we collect on indigent/uninsured patients, as every state has a free care pool to deal with these situations



Actually, Massachusetts just passed a law that all residents MUST have health insurance, which has resulted in low cost alternatives being made available. Don't know how this is going to affect EMS, but if it works, it could be a model system.[/quote]



Now thats an idea that they have been toying around with here in CA.

[Guest]

Should they put truck and engine company on the ambulances?



Im sorry i just dont think that should be on the banner of the truck, maybe a small star of life or something, but yeah

[edburke]

[quote name='Felixthecat' post='121106' date='Jun 20 2007, 22:21 ']Should they put truck and engine company on the ambulances?



Im sorry i just dont think that should be on the banner of the truck, maybe a small star of life or something, but yeah[/quote]



It says Fire Department on the ambulance, yet the only firefighting equipment it has is the two DOT required fire extinguishers. The fact is that the Engines and Trucks are used as part of the EMS system as first responder vehicles, and the department is recognizing the role they play.

[Guest]

Heyy Kevin thanks again for the digital prints of them today!

[Roto-Ray]

[quote name='edburke' post='121119' date='Jun 20 2007, 23:10 ']It says Fire Department on the ambulance, yet the only firefighting equipment it has is the two DOT required fire extinguishers.[/quote]



Unless you're like we do at work and put SCBA, bunker gear storage and forcible entry tools on the ambulances! <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/stirpot.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />

[edburke]

[quote name='Roto-Ray' post='121563' date='Jun 22 2007, 21:38 ']Unless you're like we do at work and put SCBA, bunker gear storage and forcible entry tools on the ambulances! [/quote]



I'm only referring to Baltimore.......Boston will be putting SCBA on it's ambulances very shortly, and we already carry our turnout gear, camelback, bulletproof vest, Mark I kits, and SCBA masks in a large gear bag that has to be with us on the ambulance whenever we work.

[Ladder 68]

Believe it or not, in Houston all personnel assigned to a BLS transport unit, ALS transport unit, ALS Squad or EMS Supervisor must have their gear on the unit, have assigned T-PASS devices, portable radio for each member, MARK I kit, etc. We actually use our BLS and ALS Squad crew at our station as the IRIT at fires or if not they suit up and work with the Engine Co.