By Lucas Sullivan
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON, Ohio — Dayton fire union officials said they will file a lawsuit to block a recent decision by city officials to hire part-time emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, for the first time in the city’s history.
The decision to hire part-time EMTs is an effort to save money and target minorities to help diversify the department, City Manager Rashad Young said.
Union officials say the move violates the city’s charter and the collective bargaining agreement.
“This is the city’s way to usurp the process by handpicking people they want in those positions,” said Dayton Fire Union Local 136 President Mike Fasnacht. “I don’t care what ethnicity someone is, but they have to be qualified and they have to go through a competitive hiring process.”
Young said Fasnacht’s stance is inaccurate and that the city is following the same protocol followed for the last 20 years in hiring part-time employees.
The city has been told by the U.S. Justice Department that it must find a way to diversify predominantly white and male police and fire staffs.
The DOJ said in a settlement proposal that the city cannot hire or give civil-service exams until the lawsuit is settled.
Young said that he has consulted with the DOJ and the city is OK to go forward with the process.
Fasnacht said he believes the city will replace full-time firefighter positions with part-time EMTs that don’t have firefighter certification.
Young countered, saying there is no plan going forward to only hire part-time EMTs and said any part-time EMT will be paired with a fulltime EMT on emergency runs.
Training scholarships are available through Sinclair Community College for those interested in the program. Those interested can log on to www.day tonemtscholarship.org.
Young said the training program will last about 10 weeks and the city hopes to start hiring part-time EMTs sometime in August.