CLEVELAND — The Cleveland firefighters’ union voted down the city’s proposal to combine fire and emergency medical services Thursday.
Cleveland.com reported that members of Cleveland’s Firefighters Local 93 rejected the collective bargaining agreement with the city. The contract was the first offer by the city to integrate the fire department and EMS.
Union president Frank Szabo said firefighters were not voting against the principle of integrating the two divisions — just the particular contract proposal on the table, according to the report.
In a statement released after the vote, the city called the rejection “a barrier to improving fire, medical and rescue response,” according to the report.
“The outcome of the vote is a major disappointment and impedes our ability to deliver better, faster medical service and fire suppression in Cleveland,” Mayor Frank Jackson said. “Improving service, particularly to people in need of emergency care, comes first and we will review all options to achieve that goal.”
City officials argued that integration is vital to save money and increase the response time and efficiency of rescue services, according to the report.
The integration was first announced in 2010 and city officials said the city has begun portions of the integration, including accepting certified paramedics into the fire training academy, according to the report. Full integration would take place over many years, as new hires are trained as firefighter-paramedics, the city release said.
The union representing EMTs, Cleveland Association of Rescue Employees ILA Local 1975, is scheduled to meet with city officials Friday morning to continue negotiations, according to the report.