Mayor asked Tulsa fire chief not to oppose EMSA response times changes, email indicates

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.迷你倉最平Oct. 31--Mayor Dewey Bartlett did not want his fire chief publicly opposing the extension of EMSA's allowable response times, an email from the chief indicates.The email, sent Fire Chief Ray Driskell to Councilor G.T. Bynum on Monday, states: "I have been asked by Mayor Bartlett to not oppose the issue publicly."City councilors voted 6-3 last Thursday to extend EMSA's allowable response time for Priority 1 calls from 8 minutes and 59 seconds to 10 minutes and 59 seconds.After the vote, Bynum sent a series of emails to Driskell asking him whether he would like to discuss with councilors his position on the longer response times given recent changes in dispatch codes that will increase by thousands the number of calls to which the Fire Department responds each year.Bynum had told councilors before last week's vote that he would bring the response time issue up for reconsideration this week if EMSA did not work with the Fire Department to understand the implications of the code changes.On Monday afternoon, Bynum emailed Driskell, saying: "I've placed it on the agenda for Thursday as a precautionary measure, and have asked (staff) to schedule a committee agenda item with you for the same day to discuss it."Within a few minutes, Driskell responded by email, telling Bynum that Bartlett had asked him "to not oppose the issue publicly." That email was sent after the fire chief met Monday afternoon with Bartlett, EMSA CEO Steve Williamson and other city officials to discuss the response times and code changes.Driskell confirmed Wednesday that he sent the email, but he declined to comment further about the email.Bartlett said he asked Driskell not to speak publicly about the changes to the dispatch codes -- not the extended response times."There seemed to be a lot of confusion" in the meeting, Bartlett said. "My point was, let's not talk about it publicly until we have a better understanding."Because we are talking about public safety, ... the last thing we want is to scare people by talking about an issue before we can hash it out and hear everyone's concerns."Last week's council vote extending response times followed months of discussion by councilors focused on the potential impact the change would have on the Fire Department, which is the first responder to most emergencies.Driskell has expressed his support for the response time extension but warned councilors that it would have an effect on the Fire Departme迷你倉t and should be studied more.The issue was complicated hours before last Thursday's vote when local fire union President Chad Miller informed councilors that changes in dispatch codes could result in the Fire Department's responding to thousands more calls a year.But Monday's meeting between Driskell, Bartlett, Williamson and other city officials led to an agreement to postpone implementation of the new codes.Driskell said Wednesday that the changes in the dispatch codes had created new concerns for him about the extended response times."I supported the (response time) plan in principle," Driskell said. "However, it is different to support that and a code change."He said he agreed to support the extended response times on two conditions: that the new dispatch codes not be implemented until a study could be done on the impact of the longer response times; and that he be allowed to put more fire trucks and first responders on the streets when the new response times take effect Nov. 1.Driskell said five additional fire trucks, each staffed with two first responders, will be on the streets every day beginning Nov. 1."Nobody had a contingency plan, so I put one together," he said.Medical Director Dr. Jeffrey Goodloe notified EMSA and area fire departments of the dispatch code changes on Oct. 15. According to Driskell, 91 of the 1,206 codes were changed."Those 91 codes that we were going to respond to were going to increase our calls by 14,695 a year," Driskell said.Williamson said Wednesday that he supported postponing implementation of the new codes and looks forward to working with the Fire Department to evaluate the impact of the new response times."We are going to actively create a study of the effects these (response) times have had on the Fire Department and all stakeholders -- if any -- and support that effort," Williamson said.EMSA trustees recently approved a new ambulance contract with service provider American Medical Response. The vote also nearly doubles the allowable response time for Priority 2 calls, going from 12 minutes 59 seconds to 24 minutes 59 seconds.Bynum initially placed reconsideration of the response time extensions on Thursday night's council agenda but has taken it off. Driskell is still scheduled to appear at Thursday afternoon's council committee meeting.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at .tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存