As Chatham-Kent considers blending EMS and Fire services, local paramedics feel like they're being left out of the conversation.
Local Paramedic and shop steward with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Mike Stinson says at this point he hasn't received any reassurance that him and his colleagues will still have jobs if Chatham-Kent Council decides to go with a blended model.
"We feel threatened," says Stinson. "We haven't really been offered anything in terms of a future here in Chatham-Kent, so that's very concerning to myself and my colleagues."
Stinson says he understands about half of the members of the fire department may have EMS training, but adds they have very little practical experience compared to the current paramedics.
"We've got literally thousands of hours of patient care here in Chatham-Kent," says Stinson, adding he has been a paramedic in the area for 13 years. "We've got people who have worked here as medics for about 36 years or so right down to people who have started fairly recently -- there's a wealth of experience here within our ranks."
Stinson says local paramedics are also required to obtain annual certification from their base hospital and must undergo constant scrutiny from their Quality Assurance Manager. He says neither of those entities have a relationship with the current fire department.
"We feel a deep level of concern for the citizens here and the level of care that we might not be able to provide in the near future," says Stinson.