Emergency department cuts lead to on-duty reshuffling
By Alexandra Bogdanovic
The elimination of a deputy chief of operations position from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services in FY 2010 could have a “big impact” on county residents, according to Charlie Hunter, president of the Fauquier Professional Firefighters Local-3762.
The board of supervisors recently decided to cut the position as part of a strategy to offset a revenue shortfall predicted in the upcoming fiscal year. Eliminating the position represents a $91,000 reduction in the DFES budget.
“This will have a domino effect on staffing,” Hunter said. “Without the deputy chief, we wouldn't have someone to cover [a shift] when someone else is sick. [If that's the case] one station may have to be closed.”
However Tom Marable, who is the president of the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, said that isn't necessarily the case. He said the DFES should still be able to provide full coverage with some internal restructuring.
Career firefighters and EMS providers supplement the services provided by volunteers who man the county's fire and rescue stations.
Twelve DFES personnel are assigned to six stations on a daily basis. Four people staff three battalion units which provide additional fire and EMS coverage in the southern, central and northern parts of the county.
According to DFES Chief Philip Myer, the battalion captains work from 6 a.m to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The deputy chief of operations works three 12-hour shifts to complete a two-week rotation.
They respond to all incidents, providing the third person on EMS calls for manpower and lifting so another ambulance doesn't need to be dispatched. They also serve as a second medic for expertise on serious advance life support [ALS] emergencies, including motor vehicle accidents in which patients need to be flown from the scene.
The battalion captains answer the second and subsequent calls in the same area, thereby providing faster medical response to patients and keeping fire units in service.
Myer said they frequently fill in for unscheduled employee absences due to illness or injuries. He provided statistics showing that a battalion captain filled in for someone on 56 days between Jan. 14 and Sept. 19. A battalion caption covered an entire 12-hour shift on 15 out of the 56 days.
“This will definitely hurt the services we are able to provide,” Hunter concluded.
E-mail the reporter: abogdanovic@timespapers.com