Oh my lanta! Privatizing Fire like EMS

SandpitMedic

SandpitMedic

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Well now, it would appear that the fire service of San Bernardino City in the largest county in the USA may be privatized. And my, what a protest the unions are putting up. They see their little brothers and sisters in private EMS and want no part of that shenanigan.

(I do realize the RM has been providing contracted/private fire service for some time, but not on a scale this large).

Should this come to fruition it will set an alarming precedent for city and county governments facing budget constraints... In days past, fire service cuts would take a lot of heat and backlash, now the government is willing to just pull the plug and let someone else do it completely. Remember when brown outs were the worst thing ever? I wonder how many people will be so eager to be a firefighter when the job doesn't promise a lifted truck, speedboat, and a house in the suburbs. Just duty is as duty does on a private pay scale. The unions and firemen are vigorous in defending what they have.

http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disast...Bernardino-May-Outsource-Fire-Department.html


It's like, everything is moving backwards in America. Shake my head.
 
I wouldn't say it's necessarily moving backwards. I would imagine these FF's will still be pretty well compensated, and as long as proper oversight exists, why would it necessarily be worse in any way than a municipal department?

It's a very different beast than a private EMS agency whose only (or primary) source of revenue is the peanuts that they can collect billing for transports, which means they need to run as many calls as possible while spending as little as possible.
 
The city is broke and they need a way to save money. Starting pay for FF/Medic is in the ball park of +$90,000 without overtime for their firefighters. I also believe all of their firefighters are medics.

I don't see a private company winning a bid and putting fire units in the stations. It will either be CalFire or SBcFD like the rest of San Bernardino
 
Cal fire did not put a bid. So county might take it. And yes pay is ridiculously high for the cost of living there.
 
DesertMedic66 said:
It will either be CalFire or SBcFD like the rest of San Bernardino
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From some people that I've talked to in A/P it sounds like the majority of people want it to be SBCoFD.
 
So that they can do PCFs? That's weak too. Peanuts for the men on the ground.

Likely right about them not going to a "private" business.
 
SandpitMedic said:
So that they can do PCFs? That's weak too. Peanuts for the men on the ground.

Likely right about them not going to a "private" business.
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Not to sure about that (not to familiar with SBDCoFD) when it comes down to it county or CalFire would be cheaper to run. For the past couple years theres been talk about San Bernardino City making the switch to county for CalFire, but in recent months (from people I've talked to) it sounds like its actually going to happen. Not to sound cutthroat but if you're looking for a fire gig, I would keep your eye on county openings. More than likely the city guys would get preference, but how many would want to take a pay cut and work for the county where they could get placed somewhere like Joshua Tree or Barstow.
 
The county just had a vacancy announcement for full time firefighters. It was open only to employees of the fire dept... Volunteers and PCFs...
 
City pay is too high. County pay is too low. What's this magic sweet spot? And city guys have to pay a whole lot more for benefits, so it drops their take home down a nice chunk.
 
SandpitMedic said:
Well now, it would appear that the fire service of San Bernardino City in the largest county in the USA may be privatized. And my, what a protest the unions are putting up. They see their little brothers and sisters in private EMS and want no part of that shenanigan.
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Since you obviously don't understand how this works, the reason the local union would be having problems is that their job as a union is to protect, and provide for their members. So of course they would be worried and upset about the city outsourcing the fire department; they want to keep their jobs and livelihoods. Kind of like how you lost your mind when LVFD decided to start doing some of the transports in Las Vegas and potentially threatened the jobs of AMR employees.

The reason that the locals of neighboring fire departments (if that's what is happening) would have a problem with this is because of solidarity; it's called the international for a reason. It's called a union for a reason. Means everyone stands together.

Aaaaand, since you obviously didn't know...even if the city decided to go with Rural Metro to provide fire protection...guess what? Those employees would be more than welcome in the IAFF and would get their full support and be entitled to the same bargaining rights that can be had currently. It's not like there aren't currently local's made of up Rural Metro firefighters.
 
?

I didn't lose my mind. I just gave a little insight. Didn't affect me at all.

Also, RM doesn't pay as well as government.

So go ahead and slap whatever IAFF sticker you want on the back of your F-150, bro.
 
SandpitMedic said:
?

I didn't lose my mind. I just gave a little insight. Didn't affect me at all.
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Uh-huh...

Also, RM doesn't pay as well as government.
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Meh...this depends on the location and prevailing pay standards for the area; sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Doesn't change the fact that the employee's would be welcomed by the IAFF, just as they are now. Or the fact that the reason that the unions (both the local that is directly affected and any from the surrounding areas) are upset about this is because that is the point of having a union; it wouldn't matter if RM was being looked at or a state-run agency. I don't think you grasp this.

So go ahead and slap whatever IAFF sticker you want on the back of your F-150, bro.
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Must have hit a nerve.
 
Po-tate-o, po-tot-o .
triemal04 said:
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Must have hit a nerve.
Click to expand...

My nerves are fine. And I grasp it just fine also.

My point was to display how voracious the FF's unions defend each other, and to subliminally highlight the lack of such a quality in EMS. I don't think you grasped that.
Admittedly, there was a little jab in there as well... just some banter. I think this will also set us back instead of progress us forward... All of us in Fire and EMS. So, like you, I'd rather see it defeated as well.

And as far as RM goes, I think we're both right.
 
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