HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Paramedic Program Won't Fence Out Herndon-1981 a>
City paramedic program
won 't fence out Herndon
By SID RIRCHHEIMER is a life or death situation."
Seminele%Ws swim& What city taxpayers are paying for,
WINTER SPRINGS — Although he said, is the difference between the
taxpayers here will spend nearly time it takes Herndon Ambulance to
$80,000 this year and more than arrive at the scene and what It will
$108,000 next year on a city-run para- take the city's paramedics.
medic program, users of that service "It takes Herndon 15 minutes to an-
will still have to pay a private ambu- swer a call," said Commissioner John
lance company to get them to the Torcaso, who was a strong supporter
hospital of a city-run paramedic program. "It
"That's because we're not in the am- will take our boys five minutes."
bulance business," said City Manager •That time difference," added Fire
Richard Rozansky. Chief Charles Holzman, "is vital .
In plain words, the city's parame- it's the difference between life and
dics' sole job is to keep residents in death."
need of emergency medical attention So, despite spending huge amounts
alive until Herndon Ambulance takes
them to the hospital. Then residents of money for its own paramedic pro-
must pay the Casselberry-based ambu- - gram, the city still Intends to use
lance service p ;;»_-_ ,..40,* Herndon Ambulance for transporta-
_t-�•• sk tion calls.
the $60 trans- ,,_
portation fee a 1 Gordon Spencer, the 43-year-old
plus 2 cents a t Casselberry man hired at an annual
mile. I $16,700 salary to head the Winter
City voters Springs paramedic program, spent the
last year decid- last eight years working for Herndon.
ed by referen- = fl -^ •• And he is still employed by the
darn to initiate "iit company.
a paramedic TM Y ', {i, "But only part time (with Hern-
program here. t." +..,.+,,:. don)," said Rozansky. "He is with us
After months I" i ss 7`"•
of budget talks, a z} z 'x full time."
city officials Rozansky A spokesman at Herndon said it
costs anyone seeking transportation to
decided to allocate almost $200,000 the hospital $60 for an emergency call
over the next two years on the pro- and $40 for a routine call. In both
gram, which includes hiring seven ad- cases, there is an additional 2 cents a
ditional city employees for the fire mile charge.
department. The closest hospitals to Winter
So far, a head paramedic has been Springs are Florida Hospital/Alta-
hired and a$28,000 rescue vehicle has monte, on State Road 436, and Semi-
been purchased. Three more parame- nole Memorial Hospital in Sanford.
dies are expected to be hired before Next month, voters in Casselberry
the program gets under way in Janu- will also decide by referendum if they
ary. The other three will be hired in want a city-run paramedic program
October. there. Mayor Owen Sheppard said the
And although Rozansky said the ordinance for that city's paramedic
city has no intentions of transporting program includes transporting
residents to the hospital, it couldn't if patients.
it wanted to because the new $28,000 Of course, Winter Springs could
easily kill two birds with one stone
red-and-white rescue vehicle does not
. certain federal ambulance and have its own advanced life sup-
meet
standards, port and transportation system, if it
repainted the rescue vehicle white / 1/ / 7
"That's because an ambulance must with orange trim so it can be accredit-
be painted the traditional white with ed as an ambulance.
orange trim," said Ray Ball, the state But Rozansky said there are no
Department of Health and Rehabiiita- plans to repaint the vehicle so it can
tive Services employee who accredits be used as an ambulance, therefore
ambulances in the Orlando area. "An eliminating the need for the costly
advanced life support vehicle can be Herndon Ambulance service.
painted any color, but It cannot trans- "Red and white are the fire depart.
port patients to the hospital unless it gent's official colors,"he said. -