NEW HAVEN — Members of the Board of Aldermen are questioning whether a plan to restructure the Fire Department would weaken the service’s ability to handle medical emergencies.

By William Kaempffer, Register Staff
April 09, 2000

At a public hearing last week, many on the Public Safety Committee expressed concern that the department’s plan to decommission one emergency unit that responds to medical calls would slow response time.

"I know how much a minute, two can mean" in a medical emergency, said Elizabeth McCormack, D-24.

"That could be a life or death situation. These minutes matter so much to me."

The Fire Department administration wants to remove one medical unit and add two squads that would focus on fires, specialized rescues and hazardous material emergencies.

Assistant Fire Chief Michael E. Grant told the panel the change would "maximize our resources" in the department. Calls have dropped dramatically for the emergency units since the department began a program that makes all 10 fire engines first responders on medical emergencies, Grant said.

Now there are times that three or four engines are out on medical calls at once, leaving potential holes in coverage in the event of a fire, Grant said. The two squads would provide necessary coverage. Further, he said, both remaining emergency units would now carry paramedics in the restructuring instead of emergency medical technicians.

The safety committee, however, expressed concern about any reduction in medical coverage.

Joyce C. Poole, D-23, said she was "not very comfortable" with the plan and Ron Smith, D-20, assailed the plan to remove a medical unit from the Whitney Avenue firehouse and replace it with a new squad.

"I find this hard to swallow," he said.

The meeting was attended by numerous members of the Firebirds Society, a fraternal organization for black firefighters. The group has actively lobbied against the change. Many members of the organization are assigned to emergency units.

Under the plan, emergency units would be removed from the firehouses on Whitney and Ellsworth avenues and replaced with the new squads. The two advanced life support units would be stationed on Howard Avenue in the Hill and Woodward Avenue in the Annex.

©New Haven Register 2000