By Patrick George
Austin-American Statesman
AUSTIN, Texas — Officials with the Austin medical first responders’ union say they fear the city could lay off paramedics as it prepares a new staffing model for ambulances. Steve Stewart, president of the Austin-Travis County EMS Employees Association, said he learned last week that several items his union and the city had agreed to were not in a plan that could redefine how EMS employees work in ambulances.
“I don’t feel like the city negotiated in good faith,” Stewart said at Monday’s meeting of the Public Safety Commission. The proposal calls for two people per ambulance: one paramedic to provide advanced medical care and one emergency medical technician to give basic life support, officials said. Under current policy, two paramedics are required per ambulance.
Full Story: Ambulance staffing plan prompts concerns about paramedic layoffs