BabyCity
06-10-08, 13:01
I don't like bringing it up, but in reading all of the press lately on budget crisis facing the region I figure some solutions can come from anywhere, even people who read and post on this site.
$17 million in the hole...how does a City the sizes of San Bernardino turn that around?
Well, let's look at it like our own budgets at home. We cut luxuries, we refinance debt, we eliminate redundancy, we manage our wallets, and we find ways to still survive.
Personally, since August of last year I have had a $30k dollar per year loss in wages due to my wife reducing her work hours and due to a loss in overtime. Is it wrong for people to depend on OT to pay their bills? Does this make me a bad guy? I guess someone will chime in, but when the OT isn't there, you pick up a side job, tell your kids, "no", or even cut the river trips. God forbid!
What can the City of San Bernardino do? What is defined as "Luxury"? I'm sure the arson dog program could be viewed as a luxury. What's worth more, a disaster preparedness program that can help an entire city...or a dog program that puts 2 people per year in a courtroom? Oh yeah, all to the tune of the same dollar amount.
What about EMS??? Why do we consistently strive to have the best technology when we are surrounded by hospitals and other providers that HAVE THE SAME OR BETTER STUFF? This is a CITY, not some back road rural fire department in Kansas where there's no fire hydrants or street signs, (although the guys in Victorville would beg to differ). My point being, we have been forced to become redundant to show other agencies we can do the same thing, and to feel better about the job we do. We have been led to believe that the medical professionals that forged the way for us were somehow a bad example, so therefore we need to change it. Why do we need an Auto Vent to the tune of $4k each, what’s wrong with a BVM at 12 bucks? Why do we need 12 leads if AMR has them? You say AMR might be late right, so we need that stuff. Here’s an idea, get another provider! (I realize it’s easier to say than do, we tried that, I know) Why is it we send a licensed paramedic from a fire engine and from an ambulance to the same prescreened incident? Luxuries folks. I'm sure some of you my think its crazy talk...but back in the days of BLS fire engines and 3 ambulance providers in the valley, the calls still got run, people got transported to hospitals, and guess what? People still lived. Medics on fire engines are great, but double and triple redundancy of equipment is a waste.
Does everyone from a headquarters need a take home vehicle? Maybe, I don't know. But I'm sure they don't need a 6.0 liter 350 gas guzzler pushing them around. Does your fire engine need a new EMS bag? Probably not, but we could sure use some new clipboards stocked with PCR's and pens. Do we really need another computer on our fire engine? If it breaks what do we use, that’s right…pen and paper. Technology is great, don’t get me wrong, but for it not to be considered a luxury it should seriously impact someone’s life or property.
When was the last time a computer, an Auto Vent, an EMS bag, or even an EZ-IO saved someone’s life. I can’t think of any.
Trim the fat, we all come out healthy.
Nice Clark, real nice.
:eek:
$17 million in the hole...how does a City the sizes of San Bernardino turn that around?
Well, let's look at it like our own budgets at home. We cut luxuries, we refinance debt, we eliminate redundancy, we manage our wallets, and we find ways to still survive.
Personally, since August of last year I have had a $30k dollar per year loss in wages due to my wife reducing her work hours and due to a loss in overtime. Is it wrong for people to depend on OT to pay their bills? Does this make me a bad guy? I guess someone will chime in, but when the OT isn't there, you pick up a side job, tell your kids, "no", or even cut the river trips. God forbid!
What can the City of San Bernardino do? What is defined as "Luxury"? I'm sure the arson dog program could be viewed as a luxury. What's worth more, a disaster preparedness program that can help an entire city...or a dog program that puts 2 people per year in a courtroom? Oh yeah, all to the tune of the same dollar amount.
What about EMS??? Why do we consistently strive to have the best technology when we are surrounded by hospitals and other providers that HAVE THE SAME OR BETTER STUFF? This is a CITY, not some back road rural fire department in Kansas where there's no fire hydrants or street signs, (although the guys in Victorville would beg to differ). My point being, we have been forced to become redundant to show other agencies we can do the same thing, and to feel better about the job we do. We have been led to believe that the medical professionals that forged the way for us were somehow a bad example, so therefore we need to change it. Why do we need an Auto Vent to the tune of $4k each, what’s wrong with a BVM at 12 bucks? Why do we need 12 leads if AMR has them? You say AMR might be late right, so we need that stuff. Here’s an idea, get another provider! (I realize it’s easier to say than do, we tried that, I know) Why is it we send a licensed paramedic from a fire engine and from an ambulance to the same prescreened incident? Luxuries folks. I'm sure some of you my think its crazy talk...but back in the days of BLS fire engines and 3 ambulance providers in the valley, the calls still got run, people got transported to hospitals, and guess what? People still lived. Medics on fire engines are great, but double and triple redundancy of equipment is a waste.
Does everyone from a headquarters need a take home vehicle? Maybe, I don't know. But I'm sure they don't need a 6.0 liter 350 gas guzzler pushing them around. Does your fire engine need a new EMS bag? Probably not, but we could sure use some new clipboards stocked with PCR's and pens. Do we really need another computer on our fire engine? If it breaks what do we use, that’s right…pen and paper. Technology is great, don’t get me wrong, but for it not to be considered a luxury it should seriously impact someone’s life or property.
When was the last time a computer, an Auto Vent, an EMS bag, or even an EZ-IO saved someone’s life. I can’t think of any.
Trim the fat, we all come out healthy.
Nice Clark, real nice.
:eek: