WATERTOWN PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION

I.A.F.F. LOCAL 191

PRESS RELEASE
December 18, 2020

For Immediate Release

I.A.F.F. LOCAL 191 –EMS and the Heavy Rescue

On December 21, 2020, the City Council will bring forward a resolution that would
eliminate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) currently being provided to the Citizens of
Watertown. This resolution comes in the wake of a ruling by the Appellate Division 4th
Department which upheld a lower court ruling preventing the City from permanently appointing
members to work out of title. Rather than abide by the ruling Council has decided that they will
instead decommission the Heavy Rescue, whose staffing is clearly defined in the current
Collective Bargaining Agreement (Article 5, Section 8), and further they will cease providing all
EMS service.
At no point has Council had open discussion, sought public or professional input, and
presently has no plan to facilitate such a drastic and unwarranted change in the services provided
by the WFD. In fact, the resolution puts the cart before the horse and states that the Fire Chief is
directed to come up with a plan only after the resolution is passed. Paradoxically, the utilization
of the Heavy Rescue and the WFD’s role in providing EMS are entirely separate issues.
Prior to the Global COVID-19 Pandemic the WFD had shifted away from operating the
Heavy Rescue as the primary response for EMS to a model where the closest available company
responded. This model improved the WFD’s already stellar response times, providing crucial,
often lifesaving aid to people in the community. However, earlier this year the Mayor demanded
that the WFD revert to its earlier less efficient model of operation, and now seeks to eliminate
these services altogether.

What follows are rebuttals to statements made by the Mayor regarding this unjustifiable
and hazardous termination in services:
 WATERTOWN PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION
I.A.F.F. LOCAL 191

“Guilfoyle Ambulance would continue to respond to medical calls as it has done for years. So, there is no
need to also send the rescue truck on EMS calls since Guilfoyle meets or exceeds national standards and
can handle any call. The rescue truck would only go on a call if Guilfoyle called for a need of assistance.” -
Jeff Smith

FACT: NFPA 1710 states that EMS should be on scene within 5 minutes of dispatch. City Fire usually
arrives within 3-4 minutes to begin critical lifesaving care in situations where seconds count, often
before Guilfoyle does. According to the American Heart Association The foundation of successful ACLS
(Advanced Cardiac Life Support) is good BLS (Basic Life Support) beginning with prompt high quality
CPR and rapid defibrillation. For every minute that passes without CPR/defibrillation chances of
survival decrease by 10%

“The fire department would still be able to respond using the rescue truck if Guilfoyle asked for
assistance.” – Jeff Smith

FACT: Firefighters would only be able to respond to assist Guilfoyle to assist with entry. Since City Fire
would no longer be an EMS provider, Firefighter/EMT’s would not be equipped or permitted to
respond prior to Guilfoyle arriving as defined by Department SOP’s. This is referred to in New York
State as “Scope of Practice”.

“Removing two firefighters from working on the rescue truck could lead to the City finally getting rid of
the minimum manning clause in the firefighters’ contract that requires 15 Firefighters to be on duty at all
times.” – Jeff Smith

FACT: The minimum manning clause in the IAFF Local 191 contract is based on NFPA standards for
minimum personnel response to a structure fire. EMS response is not considered in this calculation.
Minimum manning would always remain at 15 Firefighter/EMT’s on duty. No personnel cost would be
saved by eliminating EMS response.

“[Eliminating the Rescue Truck] would save the city long-term costs of paying four captains. The city
could also save about $250,000 from buying a new rescue truck next spring during budget deliberations”
– Jeff Smith

FACT: Replacing the actual Rescue Truck is a one-time Capital Budget expense of $250,000. However,
every apparatus is BLS/AED equipped with trained Firefighter/EMT’s and can respond to any medical
emergency in the City. According to the 2020-2021 budget the total cost of providing EMS service by
the Fire Department is $31,885 or $1.28 per citizen (2019 US Census Population estimate of 28,838).

“Back in the 80’s when the rescue truck was started, they only went to car accidents and if Guilfoyle
requested them.” -Jeff Smith
 WATERTOWN PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION
I.A.F.F. LOCAL 191

FACT: The Rescue Truck carries the departments only cache of specialized rescue equipment and
responds to ALL medical emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, fire alarms, structure fires, technical
rescues, water rescues, hazardous material incidents and when requested by other agencies. In 2019
the Rescue Truck responded to 1189 calls.

“There is not a need for them to continually respond to EMS calls when they don’t have the level of care
or support to give that Guilfoyle does.” – Jeff Smith

FACT: The City Fire Department does not operate an ambulance or transport patients; only basic life
support is provided. Basic life support includes care of patients who are experiencing Choking,
Drowning, Overdosing, Bleeding, Anaphylaxis or Respiratory/Cardiac Arrest, etc. Care of these
patients by quality BLS providers is a critical link in the “Chain of Survival” according to the American
Heart Association.

“It’s a duplication of service” – Jeff Smith

FACT: City Fire provides initial BLS response care. Guilfoyle provides ALS care with transport
capability. Watertown Firefighter/EMT’s are a critical link in the “Chain of Survival”. According to the
IAFC (International Assoc. of Fire Chiefs) “EMS is an essential component of the fire service in the U.S.
The American fire service is strategically and geographically well positioned to deliver time critical
response and effective patient care rapidly. The fire service has become the first-line medical
responder for critical illnesses and injuries in almost every community in the United States.”

Given these facts, and the lack of any viable strategy going forward, City Council should
withhold applying reckless action, and instead focus their collective energy on the advancement
of the community, not its deterioration.

Respectfully,

Daniel Daugherty
President - I.A.F.F. Local 191 – Watertown, NY