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WILKES-BARRE — Mayor Tony George’s decision to change the back-up ambulance response plan in the city isn’t getting support from some of the organizations affected by the switch.
George on Thursday said starting April 15, Trans-Med Ambulance based in Luzerne will cover calls throughout Wilkes-Barre when the city’s two ambulances are unavailable.
“I think it’s easier if we have one back-up,” George said.
Trans-Med participates with Kingston Fire Department and Hanover Township Community Ambulance Association and Plains Township Ambulance in the plan in place since October 2011 assigning them geographical coverage areas. But two of the participants questioned the need for the new arrangement and took aim at Trans-Med’s reliability.
Chris Woolfolk, chief paramedic for Hanover Township, said he has not received official notice from the mayor, but spoke with Fire Chief Jay Delaney about the change.
“If it’s true, we’re severely disappointed and expect some answers from the mayor’s office,” Woolfolk said.
The existing setup worked well, added Delaney. He said it was the mayor’s call to change the arrangement.
“I felt we had a model plan for the last five years,” Delaney said.
Hanover covers the sections of the city that border the township when Wilkes-Barre’s two medic units cannot. Likewise, Kingston crosses over the Susquehanna River into the city, Plains Township has responsibility for Parsons and Miners Mills and the neighboring sections and Trans-Med the areas bordering Wilkes-Barre Township.
George said the other units will back up Trans-Med if it’s units can’t respond.
That’s been the case already, said Angela Patla, operations manager for Plains Township Medic 2 and Wilkes-Barre paramedic.
“Trans-Med can’t handle their calls to begin with,” Patla said.
A call to Phillip Hamilton, Trans-Med’s director of operations, was not returned.
The company has boasted about having 26 paramedic units available at any given time, but it’s not true, Patla said, adding she’s researched 911 calls to get an accurate count. Trans-Med is supposed to respond into Wilkes-Barre from Wilkes-Barre Township, but often calls in units from farther away, she said.
The Plains Township medic unit operates out of its Maffett Street station, Patla said. “We’re always where we’re supposed to be,” she said.
Patla said Trans-Med unreliability will cost city residents “minutes and seconds when minutes and seconds count.”
Greg Freitas, vice president of city firefighters union Local 104 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said he was puzzled by the mayor’s move.
“This whole thing, it just doesn’t make any sense to me,” he said. Neither of the rank and file in the firefighters’ union nor the paramedics represented by Local 1300 of the Public Service Employees union were notified of the switch, and the information Freitas said he received was second hand.
At one time, the city had three ambulances, Freitas said. The two in service are staffed by firefighters/emergency medical technicians and paramedics, he said. “We provide the best pre-hospital care in the city,” Freitas said.
Chester and Williamsport are interested in setting up ambulance services in their fire departments and recently met with the city fire department, Freitas said. “They’re looking to us for guidance,” he said.
He said he doubted if Trans-Med personnel were as experienced as the city’s trained professionals. “I would put up any one of our firefighter/EMTs against one of them,” he said.