After consideration and absorption of statements by the involved officials- I'm coming out AGAINST the KC-MO Fire department takeover of MAST-EMS.
My primary reason is money.
KCFD Chief Richard "Smokey" Dyer himself said he's not sure if the City will save any money in such a consolidation.
Another reason is the considerable logistics required.
MAST-EMS employee issues abound- from pensions and retention of seniority to age and residency differences.
Employee morale- both KCFD & MAST would become at least somewhat of an issue with 2 sets of rules and requirements.
Dispatch would shift probably to the KCFD/PD dispatch center at 1111 Locust. You're going to have to add several new dispatchers per shift to handle this load.
MAST has an about 12-year-old headquarters- dispatch center and garage in a refurbished K-Mart building at 6700 East Eastwood Trafficway. Who will do what with this facility that I wonder if it's fully paid-for?
The ambulances themselves will have to be re-marked- or re-painted.
With all those factors- I think it is going to COST the City money in the short-term at the very least.
Therefore- Phil & to wit- I'm agin' any consolidation of the KCFD and MAST-EMS at this time.
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2 comments:
As as a MAST employee, the reality is that the union never asked the rank and file what we wanted. They sent out surveys asking us what we wanted in our MOU negotiations. Our MOU expires this year. NOT ONE of the options was "Dissolve MAST, fold yourselves into KCFD, and erase 30 years of the company you work for."
NOBODY from Local 42 EVER asked us our opinion.
That's what really irks us. There's the usual few who are beholden to Louie who love it.
But the lack of input is really what upset most of us.
The reality is that its out of our hands. Yael Abolukelahourkalahp wrote an opinion piece in the Star quoting Louie Wright talking about "informal discussions" at City Hall. It's precisely these after hours, off the record negotiations that too often replace real democracy in this city.
These kind of things need to happen in the light of day, not the dark corners of offices. I wonder how many thick envelopes of our union dues traded hands for the "re-election committees" of city hall.
It never was a decision based on what's best for KC, what's best for MAST or what's best for the Local 42 members at MAST. It was always about what benefits the Union.
We're out of the loop entirely. What will happen will happen.
In any case, if it happens, I'm going to get my 401k, credit for a pension I never had to pay into, and free fire training that I can use to take to a different department. Who wins? Me. Who loses? KC taxapayers.
I don't think people here realize how good of an ambulance service KC has. People point out the stupid things that MAST does, and make fun of it. But when I tell people what we do here, how we do it, they're amazed. They can't believe what we do. Other EMS organizations know MAST is one of the best services in the country. We're a honest to god brand name.
People don't realize that we love this company. We might not agree with everything that has happened, or how it is run, but we love our company and what we represent. I'm every bit as proud to wear the uniform as the first day on the job. That's what the union doesn't get. They don't understand that this is more than just a pension or some fucking station to crap at and watch tv at. It's NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. It's not because we don't like fire. I couldn't care less. It's about destroying a company that stands for something.
What would KCFD feel like if MAST tried a hostile take over? Most of KCFD calls are for medical. MAST could take over KCFD. Eliminate the redundant staff. Save on insurance and fuel. Hell, we could have 5 medics per truck. What would they feel like? What if their union proposed that. I think the feelings would be even more vehement. But that would destroy what that department stands for -- one of the oldest fire departments in the nation. The fire department that once competed against the best European fire departments and kicked their asses roundly. KCFD, for all the dumb shit stuff they do, is still one of the best FIRE departments in the nation. It's not some "fire rescue" crap. It's not KC Fire and EMS. It's KC FIRE. So now dilute that with Rescue, EMS, and the kitchen sink thrown in.
Think about how that would look. And people don't understand that sometimes, there's more to life than being able to watch cable TV at work.
I found this old posting while gliding through some of the Mast blogs and found it interesting, but not all that factual.
The first point of interest I would like to comment on would be the statement “not enough time has been spent looking into this”! This question was answered five years ago when it was decided upon by Mast not to renew Emergency Providers Inc. contract because Mast would realize 4 to 6 million in costs by elimination duplicated services. I am sure Mast did reduce its expenses….so by Mast own actions they provided the answer concerning consolidation into the city.
I also noted that a number of other comments were made, such as “We have built a name” or “A company that stands for something” was referred to as being destroyed. I may have failed to mention that Emergency Providers Incorporated was an employee owned company that Mast decided to eliminate in an effort to save money. This cost many senior employees thousands in stock value since Mast was the only contract Emergency Providers Inc. had.
The idea that changing a name that is placed on the side of an ambulance is somehow significant to patient care is ridicules. Those who care for patients today will care for patients tomorrow! This is what we do, and to think anything else is a personal insult!
I know a petition was circulated throughout Mast, and it was a vote of non-confidence concerning Mast management. I was informed a strong majority of bargaining unit employees did sign…as did I.
The EMS personal have built a name for themselves despite working conditions that are not incorporated with any consideration for employees personal safety or basic human needs.
I find it prudent to mention it has just been five years since Mast took over operations! That’s right; Mast was a billing entity for 25 of the 30 years they have existed. I just thought this should be pointed out since those who show concern over their perceived drop in patient care failed to be nearly as vocal when a billing company took over the ambulance service? I guess it pays to do the bidding for managers that work against the Union, and receive those special assignments. At the same time receiving all the same benefits as those they would through under the bus to better themselves.
The Last 5 years Mast has increased its City subsidy from 5 million to 12.5 Million. The collections received from billing have decreased from 54% to 39% during the same time frame. If Emergency providers Inc. had not been consolidated you can imagine what the current subsidy would be. I find it prudent on behalf of the City to move foreword rather than spend another 5 years and hope for the best. If history is any indicator it wouldn’t be a stretch to figure out it is not going to get better.
I understand that change can be hard but I for one am looking foreword to it. The EMS service has run off the backs of those who provide excellent care year in, and year out! The City Council has voted to bring Mast under the control of the City, and I for one applaud their decision.
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