Florida County Looks to Privatize Fire/EMS Department

[lib2DaBone]

http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/pnnews.aspx?NewsID=430616&a=newsarchive2/012809/ch2.htm&pnpg=0

(snip)
MURDOCK -- The possibility of the Charlotte County Commission privatizing its Fire & EMS and event center staffing crossed a significant threshold Tuesday.

A majority of the commissioners -- Tricia Duffy, Robert Skidmore and Bob Starr -- directed staff to put out to bid the privatization of Fire & EMS services, as well as staff for the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda.

The commission has discussed privatization options before, with Starr spearheading the movement. It has become enough of a concern for employees of Charlotte County Fire & EMS to start up a petition, asking the commissioners to drop the issue.

Both Starr and Skidmore said Tuesday their goal is not to cost anyone's jobs -- simply to save the county money.

Charlotte County Fire Chief Dennis DiDio would not comment Tuesday, but Charlotte County firefighters are taking Starr's call for privatization of the county's EMS seriously.

Scott Heinis, a district firefighters union vice president, said the firefighters formed savecharlottecounty.org, where residents can electronically give their support to the firefighters. The firefighters also started a petition drive. Heinis estimated the Web site gets support from 100 residents daily and the petition drive has collected between 4,000 and 5,000 names.
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Welcome to the Blackwater Fire Dept and Wackenhut EMS Service. Paramedic/Firefighters will get $8 an hour with no benefits.

[Shardik]

1. Christ, what a bad idea.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. You're account is in arrears. Do you have a credit card?"

Next stop is the Robocop scenario.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

2. Bad ideas are born in Flori-duh!

and the hollowing out of the ddt thin shell of Florida government continues,

[ellenfl]

8. actually, jebbie started this. the bushes are determined to sell this country. eom

[bluestateguy]

3. How would that work?

If it's not profitable for them to put out a house fire in a certain neighborhood will they refuse to come? Do citizens have to pay for "subscriptions" or "dues" to ensure that their homes are protected? What if I pay my dues to get fire protection, but my neighbors on both sides don't? Do I have to watch while their houses are allowed to burn down, and the fire dept. won't be able to do anything until the fire crosses the property line?

[ellenfl]

9. that's about it! eom

[Xicano]

13. I remember seeing or reading that in the past

Fire departments would issue some sort of metal tag to attach to one's house to show the fire department that they pay for fire services. If upon arrival to a house not displaying this tag the fire department wouldn't put out that fire. Can you imagine that? That's just terrible.

Maybe someone else knows more about this than I and can elaborate.

[bertman]

4. FIRE MARSHAL BILL!!! Lemme tell ya somethin':

If it was gonna happen we knew it was gonna happen first in Florida.

Madflo's gonna love this one.

[jtrockville]

5. I can't think of even ONE example where privatization turned out good.

[csziggy]

10. Yes, they privatized the air ambulance service for Tallahassee and the Big Bend of Florida

Now the private company is discontinuing use of the central location at the major trauma center hospital in Tallahassee. Instead, they will send helicopters out of Gadsden County, 30-40 miles to the west and out of Taylor County, 60-70 miles to the southeast.

The most populated part of eastern and northeastern Leon County will have delays of several minutes for air ambulance service as a result. My only hope, since this area is heavily Republican, is that more Republicans' lives will be affected by the bad decisions of their idiotic politicians.

[area51]

6. "residents could lose out..."

"...Heinis said residents could lose out on auxiliary services the county EMS and firefighters now provide -- such as helping handicapped people who have fallen out of their wheelchairs or diabetics who can be stabilized at home."

Yeah, let's go back to the bad old days of the 1700s & 1800s and have only certain homes protected by the fire department, that worked out so well. </sarcasm>

[lib2DaBone]

7. I don't know if I feel comfortable with Fire Marshall Bill....

operating the Jaws of Life or pumping Epi in my veins. Call me skeptical.

A few old people in wheelchairs or a couple of diabetics don't matter... what is important is that the county Commissioners maintain THEIR lifestyle and perks.

:sarcasm:

[stillcool]

11. I see more insurance in the future..

[FLAprogressive]

12. support the IAFF and make sure that everyone knows about the Charlotte Co. Union Busting Commission