HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 05-04 Maplewood workgroup to present full review of Fire/EMS Department MAPLEWOOD REVIEW MAY 0 4 2016
Maplewood workgroup to present full
review of Fire/EMS Department
Sustainability of ambulance
service is being studied
Aundrea Kinney
- is so
Review staff $f l"` -
This past February, a Fire/EMS study group was
created to investigate the service levels and sustain-
ability of the Maplewood.Fire and EMS Department.
The Fire/EMS workgroup will present a full review
Linda Baumeister/Review
See Fire/EMS on page 11 The Maplewood Fire/EMS workgroup will be
making recommendations to the city council.
Fire/EMS... are medical calls, and often the ual aspects of the existing model
city's three ambulances are all out such as demands in Maplewood,
at the same time. "We end up not response times, department bud-
continued from page 1 always having the amount of fire get and potential public or private
coverage that we want." partners.
of its findings and a recommenda- "Add on top of that that over 70 The results of their study will be
tion at the Monday, May 9, Maple- percent [of the individuals being revealed at the May 9 city council
wood City Council workshop. transported] are on Medicare or workshop, which will take place
The Maplewood Fire Depart- Medicaid," Schnell said. Because from 5 to 7 p.m. at City Hall. The
ment consists of 38 part-time these government programs only workgroup will also present a rec-
"casual" firefighters and 15 full- cover a certain amount, Schnell ommendation to the council on
time firefighters who work out of said that the department is provid- how to proceed with the delivery
three stations. - _ ing those ambulance services at a of emergency services to better
Maplewood operates its own loss. meet the needs of the community.
ambulance service through the fire "The high percentage of Medi- The Fire/EMS workgroup con-
epartment, and three advanced care/Medicaid [calls] puts Maple- sists of: assistant city manager Mike
li upport ambulances are avail- wood in a uniquely challenging Funk;part-time battalion chief Mike
able around the clock. Each ambu- position in regards to control cost," Lochen; fire chief/ emergency man-
lance is staffed with a minimum of he said, which is why the work- agement director Steve Lukin; assis-
one EMT and one paramedic. group investigated the sustainabil- tant fire chief Mike Mondor; police
"What's happening is that our ity of the department. chief Schnell, one full-time fire-
demand is going up considerably," Over the course of 10 meetings, fighter/paramedic and five residents.
said Paul Schnell, Maplewood which lasted nine weeks, the Fire/
police chief and public safety direc- EMS workgroup studied the city's Aundrea Kinney can he reached
tor. He explained that most of the delivery model for emergency at 651-748-7822 or akinney@lil-
calls the fire department receives services. They examined individ- lienews.com.