BACK TO THE PRESIDENTS PAGE
"Here"
OFFICER'S REPORT
1st Vice President
Jerry Robusto
Crab Feast | PSI | Heart & Lung |
Recording Secretary
George Neubeck
Secretary / Treasurer
Bob Sledgeski
Medic Calls and Medic Standbys
BALTIMORE CITY LOCAL 734 |
Red Alerts EMS who knows what else |
Jerry Robusto
Crab Feast:
This year’s Crab Feasts will be held on September 20 and September 21st at the same place – Baltimore Museum of Industry on Key Highway from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; food and crabs will be served at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $20.00 and are available from your battalion steward. Retirees tickets will remain at $10.00 and can be purchased at the Union Hall. The cut-off date for tickets is September 13 and NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR. If you would like to help, notify myself or Lenore Festerman.
"TOP"
PSI:
PSI can override your doctor’s orders. As to light duty, we have made some progress. With the policy as it is now, when you go on light duty, I can get you your trick off plus your 4 days between shifts. Brothers and Sisters, when you go to PSI only give them information that is vital to your injury. Any more information can be used against you. If you have any problems, you can reach me at 443-324-2533.
Some
of you have taken advantage of the Heart and Lung scan that was offered to
our members by
Union
Memorial Hospital. For those who have not, they will probably start back up
in November. We will try to keep the price at $100.00 but it could go as
high as $175.00 which is still a great price.
In closing, I would like to thank everyone who supported and voted for me. Don’t hesitate to call me if you have any problems.
2nd Vice
President
DAVE COX
There has been a class-action grievance filed with the department regarding the suppression training of the lateral entry paramedics. The last few batches of lateral entry paramedics hired did not receive their training in suppression. The local had several agreements or commitments that the department either could not or would not honor and train the members in question. The department has begun training of the lateral entry paramedics and has agreed to accept certain certifications the members hold to help expedite the training process. There are about a half dozen people in the academy at this time with more to come when the apprentice class returns to the academy in September. The grievance will be satisfied when the rest of our members are assigned in September to the academy for training.
The department has implemented the red alerts for the summer heat wave. Two companies have been closed each day and night to man the red alerts, instead of the four companies that are closed when the red alert normally goes in. The department claims that the “red” was in for twenty-five straight days prior to the change being made, at an average of eight hours a day.
There were two main concerns that the department brought to us when the 24/7 reds were implemented. The fact that the paramedics were and are getting slammed during the summer heat wave was of major concern. Also the four companies that man the “red” on any given month were also getting slammed. In an effort to take the edge off, the department has decided to man the red alert medic with ALS personnel around the clock. The department has also decided to use the ALS providers not in the regular detail rotation i.e. reduced paramedics and first acting men with ALS certification. If you fall in either of these categories, you probably are not very happy. Unfortunately the department has the right to staff the red alerts as they see fit according to the MOP. The department has stated they will try and use callbacks first to staff the red alerts instead of on-shift personnel, but that doesn’t seem to be happening either. The intent is to have people sign up for the medic on overtime, then the first four ALS providers working call back are supposed to be assigned to the medic, then on- shift personnel are to be used. First members with ALS certification not holding a rated position then anyone else that holds an ALS certification is subject to man the “reds”.
During the writing of this newsletter, we lost one of own. Fire Fighter Dale Raub Engine 50 detailed to Fire Prevention, succumbed to his long bout with leukemia. Dale fought hard to win his battle with cancer, but lost that battle late in July. I personally had the pleasure of working with Dale a few times and imbibed with him at the local drinking establishments on more than one occasion. Dale was a true Gentleman in every sense of the word. My condolences go out to Carlos, Sheila and the rest of Dale’s family. May he rest in Peace and may God have Mercy on his soul. He will surely be missed.
On a more pleasant note the crab feast is around the corner. See every one there and enjoy the rest of the summer
Recording Secretary
George Neubeck
Random Drug and Alcohol Testing:
If you have signed an after care contract, you are subject to random testing even if you are on vacation. The Department views the word “anytime” as “anytime”, whether or not you are on vacation. However, if the Department cannot get in touch with you, you cannot be tested. Enough said.
Medic Calls and Medic
Standbys:
Make sure you use and wear all the “protection” equipment provided. This
will help lower the risk of exposure.
Enjoy the rest of the summer. Before you know it, the kids will be back in school. Oh, I’m sure around August 16th, there will be an Elvis marathon on. Mark your calendar.
Thank you… thank you very much…
Secretary / Treasurer
Bob Sledgeski
All of us on the Executive Board and Board of Directors do our very best to return people’s phone calls as soon as we can. IT IS A POLICY OF THIS BOARD TO RETURN PHONE CALLS WITHIN 24 HOURS…IF WE GET THE MESSAGE. If you have called and someone didn’t get back to you, it’s very possible we didn’t get the message. With all of the electronics available now, you would think it unlikely that a message didn’t reach us. Believe me, it happens. For example, a few of us haven’t had e-mail at the office for several weeks because of a virus problem The messaging system for our Sprint Cellular phones is useless – the system very rarely gives an immediate indication that someone has a new message. When it finally does alert you, it may be for five messages from the day before.
If you don’t hear from us, try a second time, and also leave a message at the office.
(For me personally, the best way to reach me is using the City e-mail system or to reach me at E-2 “A”. I do check my phone at the end of the day for “lost” messages).
Grievance Settlements
The grievance involving members from Classes 7-8-9 who received their training after their three years has finally been signed. This settlement also puts to rest another grievance concerning different training standards for different classes. Affected members of Classes 7-8-9 will receive some specific relief. All members who complete EMT-I will receive extra comp time, as well as those members who received ALL of their other training on their own time. Needless to say, it will take a while to get through all of this – give us some time.
Anytime you settle a major grievance like this, there is debate as to whether it is the best settlement possible. We spent a lot of time researching all of this, and our research showed that settling this way was best. A lot of people cited different Federal and State laws to us. However, apprentice programs are treated differently.
Anyway, any questions, e-mail me.
There has been a lot of discussion lately about people failing tests on purpose. Others are asking about the people that have failed EMT-I three times. And there are many other questions. Let me offer some insight into where I think the committee is going.
For those people failing EMT-I at the academy, they will be
asked to sign a “contract” acknowledging that they have one/two more
opportunities to pass and face dismissal if they do not.
For those people failing any other parts of the testing, they will be
ordered to retake the test within a set time (60 days). If they do not
complete the testing in an appropriate time frame, they will be subject to
the “contract” mentioned above. An idea has been submitted by many of you
that once a person completes EMT-I after several unsuccessful testing
attempts that their year on the medic is extended to match the extra testing
period.
Members who fail to show up for required classes/testing will be subject to
Departmental charges. All requests to take a class at a different time must
be in writing. Members who are consistently unsuccessful in their testing
will be long-term detailed to the medics for “hands on” training.
Unfortunately, as with many things we do, the above are being established to
deal with the people going out of their way to abuse the system.
By now, the PO’s and EVD’s should be receiving the $500 ALS certification pay. I have had people swear that they are not receiving it, only to go back and find out that they are. (I’m not sure at this point about retro-active pay)
It now appears that the acting-out-of-title rates may be incorrect. I’m working on it.
Red Alerts/EMS/Who Knows What Else:
My message here is not to discuss who should ride what, when. That’s an ongoing discussion, and may be all worked out by the time you read this. My concern is the constant failure of the Administration to set clear priorities and goals for the Department and to have the Command Staff disseminate those goals. A member in the field never knows if the goal of the day is Citi-stat, reporting graffiti at schools, Special Ops, or whatever (of course, it is possible to have multiple goals). The recent event of companies riding up and down North Avenue and Edmondson Avenue was a prime example. No one in the affected companies had a clue. Should we have a right to expect that?
The recent promotional exams were weighed very heavily towards appropriate management practices. Some of the very basic tenets of management are for leaders to set goals and effectively disseminate that information.
What does this have to do with the Red Alerts?
The Chief recently offered some compelling reasons about his actions in EMS and the Red Alert. If people heard them, I think many would agree with him. I DID (that’s scary). We may not all agree on how to get to the right solution, but we would at least all know what the goal is.
I very sincerely asked why the Chief and his staff doesn’t go out and talk to the members. At least two of his staff said, “They should be able to figure it out for themselves”. Wrong answer!
I would again urge the Chief to get his staff out and explain his thoughts about EMS and the Medical Bureau. They are timely and compelling.