Thurs, June 7,2001
Interesting CE's
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Any one interested in a cadever lab for ce's or possibly a class on street drugs plz let me know
stuart munro
smunro622@hotmail.com

EMS 30 years commemorative coins
Thurs, May 24 2001
Ken Parker

With EMS nearing it's 30'th year of service, it is time to look at celebrating and commemorating this auspicious event. We missed our opportunities to celebrate the 20th and 25th anniversary (for various reasons). In an effort to insure that the 30th year does not pass without recognition; Ken Parker and Shalako Holiness have embarked on a year long celebratory venture. We plan on offering to EMS members commemorative keepsakes throughout the next year. The first of these items is a 1.5 inch, individually numbered, Antiqued Bronze coin. A brief challenge coin history and challenge etiquette/rules will be posted in the upcoming CODE and at each of the EMS quarters. The coins are available at a cost of $15.00 each from K. Parker or S. Holiness at medic Five N-1 or by calling 836-3099. A number of EMS techs have purchased their coin(s)in accordance to their Badge #. Currently we have numbers up to 500. If sales are good we hope to secure #501 thru 1000 in the near future. Come by Medic five and see the coin, we believe it will become a unique collector item.
Ken Parker

EMS Expo Update
Thurs, May 24 2001
Posted By: John Sablowski, AEMT

By now we know the team that represented EMS at EXPO 2001 did not place as a team, Jim did get 3rd on the written. Whether they placed or not, a lot of respect and admiration needs to go to these people who stood up and went to the competition to defend the title that we took the year prior and for being our representatives. The competition is tough and there are a lot of great competitors that go from agencies through out the state of Michigan. It takes a lot of studying and dedication to put a team together and make it to the competitions, I hope the city will continue to fund if not one team ALS but also a second team BLS so no one feels left out. Thanks again needs to go to Dr Atas for her dedication in helping with the study group and printing all the study material to assist the team.
To the team members JIM, ANNA, JASON and YOLANDA thanks again for representing us you are all winners in our books!

The Forms Page has been updated, Try the online Letterhead!

Union News and Contract Status
E.M.M.T.T.A. Representative- Al Kirkland
Rep@detroitems.com

Aproximately 10 contracts remain outstanding with the city as of this writing, one of which is EMMTTA. The month of April will provide a concentrated opportunity for movement with four labor relations meetings scheduled including a mediation date. The current wage offer on the table from the city stands at 2%, 3%, and 3% for each respective year of the contract with, I repeat, with retroactivity built in. A 2% cash bonus proposal formula offer will allow a one time payout based on the status of the General Fund. Folks getting the bonus will receive it based on their base wage at straight time for the job classification that they are serving in on June 30, 2001. A 1% work performance cash incentive payment ( merit evaluation ) is proposed with similar standards for the above bonus formula however the strings attached here are not that clear, even to members of labor relations. A broad working standard is being reviewed and developed by the city to be applied to the EMS Division.
The city has this formula developed as their proposal in computing pensions. Using the highest paid 36 consecutive months out of the last 120, including longevity payments as Average Final Compensation; the multiplier will graduate from 1.6% ( first 10 years of service ), 1.8% ( 10-20 years), 2.0% ( 20-25 years), and 2.2% ( for anything above 25 years ). The Union walked in the door with 2.5% across all service years.
The city’s position on longevity was submitted without modification ( five steps beginning at $150 and culminating at $750 ), we beg to differ. Given our history of attrition, it is a major milestone for EMS folk to make to any of the step increments.
Today’s tuition reimbursement is given at a rate of a $600 per fiscal year. The city seeks to modify that by graduating that amount from $600 ( for employee developmental programs ), to $700 ( for undergraduate programs ), and topping out at $850 ( for graduate studies applications ). We are asking that the top figure be applicable to paramedic licensure pursuits.
The D-word ( Dynamic deployment/System status management ) is still being pursued as a pilot study program, we cast more than a jaundiced eye at this as a viable alternative to a frank expansion of EMS units covering the city and remain unamused.
A word of caution regarding residency. Yes it is true that it has been driven out of the contract, however-it is not effective until ratification!
A final word on MFR as the city continues to mull this over in light of the recent #344 vote on their contract. We are aware that our folks have offered a myriad of opinions about the outcome of the vote, some negative and positive. I want to make sure that folks know that there are plenty of progressive elemennts in other bargaining units who openly voiced their concerned about union members being baited into whipsawing. We would be wise not to fall in this quadmire and find common interests to unite on.

Article from The Detroit Metro Times

Stein’s nine
by Ann Mullen
3/13/2001 5:00:04 PM

Mayor Dennis Archer took office in 1994, promising to make a brighter future for Detroiters. No doubt this is true for stadium- and casino-lovers, but for those who prefer basic city services, things are still looking much as the did in the previous century. The list reflecting Archer’s lackluster performance is a long one, including faulty streetlights, rundown parks, long-neglected neighborhoods and a Police Department that has attracted the scrutiny of everyone from the U.S. Justice Department to Amnesty International. Then there’s the city’s Emergency Medical Services …
In a 1996 memo written by the then-Deputy Fire Commissioner Richard Stein to one of the mayor’s assistants, Stein listed nine ways to “better serve” citizens requesting an ambulance. After obtaining a copy of said memo, News Hits last week contacted Stein, who now oversees public safety under Archer. According to Stein, there’s been little improvement in eight of the nine areas addressed in his memo.
“We do have an adequate number of ambulances now. … At peak demand times (4 p.m. to 3 a.m.) we have up to 29 ambulances on the street,” said Stein regarding his 1996 criticism that the 22-ambulance fleet was “insufficient” to serve the public.
What the city has not done — to name just a few of Stein’s nine — is hire enough staff to repair the rundown fleet, establish a nonemergency number (the Police Department is currently testing this) and make firefighters first responders, requiring them to respond to EMS calls (which the fire fighters union is hotly contesting in contract negotiations with the city).
As dismal as that one-for-nine batting average sounds, the reality is even worse, says Al Kirkland, who heads the EMS union, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 547. Kirkland, who has been with EMS since 1989, contends that not one of the EMS improvements Stein called for has been implemented.
“It’s true that there are 29 ambulances for peak times, (but) that’s only peak time,” explains Kirkland. “There are still regular occurrences where there are no units (ambulances) available when people call for them.”
Kirkland says that the overburdened fleet’s average response time is about 12 minutes, when it should be about nine minutes.
Stein also wrote in his 1996 memo that “we cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand” when it comes to EMS and the 130,000 runs the small fleet handles annually. Asked if he thought the city was continuing to bury its head in the sand, Stein said, “Absolutely not.”
But Kirkland says, “I think the city has a history of doing that.”

Ann Mullen contributed to News Hits, which is edited by Curt Guyette.He can be reached at 313-202-8004 or cguyette@metrotimes.com.

DEMCA update November 29, 2000

Submitted by; J. Sablowski, MEDIC 28 POWER 1

Detroit East Medical Control meets every third Tuesday of the month. I am sorry this has gotten out there late I like topost it as soon as possible. These months meeting lasted almost an hour and half topics were the IV needle sticks that are happening in the field. The pharmacist from Detroit Receiving hospital did a price break down and an analysis on the usage of the auto guard angio caths for pre hospital usage. Price break down was $14.21 per box for an approximately $47,000.00/year. A discussion also was as to whom was responsible for the cost of these catheters. Due to a new senate bill that has passed all employers must provide the safest way to prevent needle sticks. I donÕt have the actual bill in front of me as of this time, as soon as I will get it I will put an addendum to this update. Next meeting will have more discussion on this, My opinion was asked and I was pro to putting this needleÕs in the box. This is still not 100% safe you still have to advance the guard but it should cut down on the careless of the left out needle for the next person to get stuck. A new program was recommended by Dr Atas for all Paramedics in this control zone, all medics will be required to have this card on them at all times while working, this card will show they have been cleared and have met all requirements to work in this zone. This card will expire every four years and you will have to be rechecked foe ACLS, BLS, License expiration and skills. A draft of the card was submitted to the board for approval. Everyone seemed to like the idea except Chief Kelly wanted to do a little more research as to the cost factor of this on the City. More on this in the next meeting. The winner is in on the 12 leads but it is a secret as to who won the contract per Chief Kelly. It was not clear as to what will be attached to these monitors and there was even mention as to a B/P cuff attached. I will let you know as soon as I do. The board wanted to know about the pulseoxÕs and we still donÕt have a date yet per the Chief. A draft for a standard Pre Hospital Telemetry Report was submitted to the board to try and cut down on the book type reports on the radio. We only have two channels assigned to us and to free them up it was recommended that everyone use the same type report one for medical and one for trauma, short and sweet. January 1 2001 if cleared by the state training will be put in place for the combi-tube; this will replace the EOA and EGTA. There is a substantial cost to these airway tubes compared to the ET tubes so if you have too many problems dropping a ET tube and you are using Too many combi tubes the big guy will be watching. As you know PALS will be in February and it will be a two-day class (Thanks SUE SMITH) and anyone else who was instrumental in getting us this training and funding. I sat in on the Trauma Coordinators meeting right after the DEMCA meeting and they also are working on PHTLS next year and getting the funding by a major corporation I would also like to thank them as well. Next meeting will be in January, For those hunters I hope you had a safe and successful hunt and happy holidays to all. All comments and suggestions for or against can be E-mailed to me at JOHNNYDIVER001@HOTMAIL.COM.