Recommendation 1: The Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services shall transition to a fully integrated, all hazards agency.
Title: Recommendation 1a (Part 1)
Action Item:
All entry-level candidates for operational positions shall be required to have the same minimum qualifications, except as adjusted by variance through the DC Department of Human Resources.
- Progress:
All entry-level candidates for operational positions are now required to achieve the following minimum certification requirements, except as adjusted by variance through the DC Department of Human Resources: National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT); CPR; Firefighter I & II (NFPA); Hazardous Materials Awareness & Operations; Emergency Vehicle Operator; and Technical Rescue Orientation.
Status: Complete
Title: Recommendation 1a (Part 2)
Action Item:
All operational employees shall be cross-trained at basic levels of EMS, fire prevention, fire suppression, hazardous materials and technical rescue. The agency proposes to continue cross training all operational employees who desire dual role cross training.
- Progress:
Currently, 96% of the operational workforce is cross-trained and fully functional in the all-hazards model. The Department has approximately 80 out of 2,000 operational personnel who work exclusively in EMS.
Status: Incomplete
Title: Recommendation 1b
Action Item:
The Department shall offer current single-role providers basic training for all hazards on a phase-in basis. The Department shall allow single role providers to meet adjusted fitness standards that fairly and reasonably accommodate their incumbent status, including their age and level of experience.
- Progress:
The Department continues to offer options for cross-training single-role EMS workers.
Status: Incomplete
Title: Recommendation 1c
Action Item:
The Department shall continue to maintain a cadre of personnel who are specialized EMS providers at various levels of training who serve primarily in patient care. The overall size of the Department’s workforce creates an opportunity for specialization among employees, permitting the inclusion of those with a passion for patient care without compromising excellence in fire suppression, rescue, hazardous materials response and other services.
- Progress:
In 2009, the Department implemented this recommendation with the creation of a new EMS supervisor pathway that includes the positions of EMS Captain, EMS Battalion Fire Chief, and Assistant Fire Chief of EMS. The position of Deputy Fire Chief of EMS was created in 2015.
Status: Complete
Title: Recommendation 1d
Action Item:
All employees shall have the same basic pay and benefits. The City Administrator shall develop a plan, no later than March 31, 2008, to transition to pay and benefits parity between current single-role medical providers and dual-role providers. In light of the inability to adjust pay legislatively, the agency suggests leaving this as a matter of collective bargaining.
- Progress:
On April 9, 2008, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced the unification plan. Under this plan, all civilian, single-role EMS providers would become sworn uniformed members, allowing them to have the same pay and benefit opportunities offered to firefighters. Under this plan there would be no loss of base pay, no loss of rank, and there would be a unified promotional process. Former single-role employees would have two career options: (1) they may elect to become all-hazards personnel (fully trained firefighters) or (2) they may receive an orientation to all-hazards operations and then function as specialized EMS providers.
On May 30, 2008, Chairman Vincent C. Gray, at the request of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, introduced Bill 17-0768: "Paramedic and EMT Transfer Act of 2008. This bill was designed to support the unification of the operational personnel of the D.C. Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department into a fully-functional all-hazards workforce. Subsequently, on November 25, 2008, the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary transmitted the bill, now renamed the "Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician Transition Amendment Act of 2008" to the Committee of the Whole. The Committee Print of Bill 17-0768 contained significant changes to the version introduced on behalf of the Mayor. Fire & EMS Chief Dennis L. Rubin transmitted a letter to the Council* on 12/15/08 highlighting his concerns with the changes. In addition, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) withdrew its fiscal impact statement due to the changes made to the legislation.
Finally, the D.C. Retirement Board transmitted a letter to the Council on 12/15/08 raising legal and fiscal concerns about the amended legislation. The amended legislation was approved by the Committee of the Whole on 12/16/08 and transmitted to the Mayor for signature. Mayor Fenty returned the bill unsigned. Mayor Fentys letter* to Chairman Gray dated 1/30/09 notes: “the Attorney General has raised legal questions regarding the amended bill’s effect on employee participation in the District of Columbia Police Officers’ and Firefighter’s Retirement Plan, and the Chief Financial Officer has withdrawn its fiscal impact statement as a result of modifications to the original bill… the amended bill makes it difficult for F&EMS to implement the task force’s recommendations. For these reasons I will not be able to sign Bill 17-768. However, I would be happy to work with the Council to develop a proposal that meets our shared goal of improving fire and emergency medical services.” In 2017, the Council repealed the legislation because it was never fully funded.
Status: Complete