HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991-11-12; City Council; 11446; AUTHORIZATION TO TRAIN FOUR FIREFIGHTERS AS PARAMEDICSTITLE: AUTHORIZATION TO T FIREFIGHTERS AS PA
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt Resolution No. 41 - 39 5 amending the Fire Department budget for training costs, an
increasing the number of authorized Paramedic positions to 21.
ITEM EXPLANATION:
The Fire Department currently has three vacant paramedic positions. In the last five years th
department has filled such positions by hiring already trained paramedics and then teaching the1
firefighting skills. The turnover rate, however, shows this not to be the most efficient systen as we lose people due to their inability to become proficient firefighters. We rarely 10s
personnel hired and trained as firefighters.
In the early years of the Carlsbad paramedic program we trained experienced Carlsba firefighters to be paramedics with great success. This proposal is to train four experience firefighters as paramedics through the UCSD paramedic school starting in January, 1992. Thre
positions will fill the current paramedic vacancies. The fourth trainee will bring our authorize
number of paramedics up to 21 from 20. This will give us an optimal number of 7 paramedic
per shift to operate the 2 ambulances and the paramedic assessment fire engines we field each da
The number of firefighter positions will decrease from 10 to 9. We will then hire entry lev1
firefighters to fill the 3 vacant positions in the department.
The paramedic school costs $4,000 per student. We only employ enough personnel to provic
‘Lminimum” staffing for six stations each day. Overtime hiring provides sick leave and vacatio
coverage. Therefore, when a firefighter attends paramedic school we must cover their positior with overtime personnel.
Paramedic school is eight months long, consisting of classroom, clinical and field training. VI
FISCAL IMPACT:
Tuition costs of $16,000. Replacement overtime costs this fiscal year of $96,000 for a progra
total of $112,000. There will be a slight additional ongoing cost for the 21st paramedic positic
starting in fiscal year 92/93 of $7,500. Additionally, the entry level written test cost for 9C
applicants is $1 1,800. After the transfer of $123,800 the General Fund Contingency accou
balance will be $1,335,700.
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1. Resolution No. .. z 0 F 0 a < z 3 0 0
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RESOLUTION NO, 91-375
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA,
AMENDING THE ADOPTED FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET
WHEREAS, the City Manager recommends, and the City Council concurs, four paramedi
positions be filled by training current Carlsbad Firefighters as Paramedics.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, as
follows!
1. That the above recitation is true and correct.
2. That the Fire Department consultant's budget is hereby amended by $16,000 from the
General Fund Contingency account to provide paramedic school tuition costs.
3. That the Fire Department overtime budget is hereby amended by $96,000 from the
General Fund Contingency for replacement costs incurred when paramedic trainees are
unavailable for their normal Carlsbad shifts.
4. That the Fire Department, Suppression Division budget is hereby amended to increase the
number of ParamedicJFirefighter positions by one and decrease the number of Firefighte
positions by one.
5. That the Human Resources Department Professional Services budget is hereby amended by
$1 1,800 from the General Fund Contingency for entry level written test expenses.
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PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City
of Carlsbad, California held on the 19 th day of November , 1991,
by the following vote, to wit:
Ayes:
kes: None
Absent: None
ATTEST
Council Members Lewis, Kulchin, Larson, Nygaard & Stanton
AgfiA!ENSA-\
(SEAL)