Paramedic Proposal Puts Public Safety In Question in Indiana

Public safety has been called into question in Hamilton County, where paramedics will lose their jobs if a controversial proposal passes.

County officials said providing emergency response should be the responsibility of each township -- not theirs.

Some residents and current paramedics are worried that the county's plan to redirect spending will put the county in danger, RTV6's Tanya Spencer reported.

Michael Sullivan was the very first medic hired in Hamilton County. He is one of eight paramedics slated to lose his job.

"On Dec. 31 at midnight, we'll just all walk out. That'll be it for us after 29 years," Sullivan said.

The county plans to stop paying Riverview Hospital to provide its paramedic service.

County commissioners are proposing that the county pay each township to take over its own service.

Under the plan, Adams, Jackson, Wayne, and White River townships would each get about $109,000 for the next three years, dropping to about $36,000 by 2010. Westfield will get $60,000 initially, before dropping to $20,000.

Sullivan said the new plan could double current response times

"We can respond to anywhere in this township within about a seven- or eight-minute time frame," Sullivan said. "Their (patients) chances of survival will decrease."

Commissioner Christine Altman disagrees with Sullivan's dire prediction.

"It should not compromise health and safety at all," Altman said. "You can cross-train firefighters to be paramedics and that's what we've encouraged everyone to do. In fact, the county has funded that process. We have funded two paramedics per jurisdiction."

Under the plan, each township would have to come up with its own money to hire a third paramedic. Township officials said that means borrowing it, reallocating resources, or raising taxes.

Sullivan said it still won't be enough to keep a paramedic with advanced life-saving skills on-staff.

"They have enough to maybe pay us $10 an hour. That's without benefits," Sullivan said. "That would be cutting my pay almost in half."

Council members approved the proposal Wednesday night by a 6-1 vote. The final step is the commissioners' vote on Monday.

Altman said she expects the plan will easily pass.

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