Mismanagement, not money, cripples EMS service, Detroit City Council concludes

[begingri]

BY STEVE NEAVLING
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER


Mismanagement – not money – is to blame for most of the delayed ambulance runs in Detroit, the City Council said today.

During a hearing on emergency response times, which have plagued the city for years, public safety officials revealed serious problems with the city's EMS services.

EMS has money to fill 57 vacancies for paramedics and emergency medical technicians, but has yet to hire anyone this year. The reason, EMS officials said, is because they can't get enough people to apply for the positions.

"With today's unemployment rate, it seems like we should be able to find qualified candidates," Council President Pro Tem Gary Brown said.

Public safety officials also said that 27 of the city's 46 EMS vehicles are out of service today because of repairs and maintenance problems that are primarily fixed by one repair shop, instead of multiple ones.

On average, 39% of EMS vehicles are out of service, EMS Chief Jerald James said.

The 19 EMS rigs that are on the road today are two fewer than what is needed on an average day, James said.

"We cannot lose lives because we have vehicles out of service," Councilwoman Brenda Jones said. "How long are we going to continue to talk about these problems before something is done? It's truly frustrating."

The hearing included top brass at the Fire Department, which handles EMS, and Deputy Mayor Saul Green, who oversees public safety.

Another problem, public safety officials acknowledged, is that dispatchers are sending ambulances to non-emergencies. In some cases, the same residents are calling 911 dozens of times a year for minor medical problems.

"All of these problems need to be managed better," Brown said.

After the meeting, James told the Free Press: "We promise we will address the problems that are affecting citizens."


Source: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2011110124042