Peoria City Council August 9, 2005–Citizens’ Forum

 

Peoria City Council August 9, 2005–Citizens’ Forum

I had the opportunity to address the city council 5 weeks ago regarding the PFD paramedics not being permitted to use their skills during a medical emergency. Shortly after that council meeting, I was told that a meeting was to occur with local authorities that control EMS in Peoria. I have been told by EMS providers both inside and outside Peoria that a change has been made by Peoria’s ambulance doctor, Dr. Rick Miller that will now allow PFD paramedics to use their skills ONLY if the AMT paramedics request the PFD paramedic to help at the scene.

Would it be possible for the people of Peoria to have verification of this change? (Councilman Spears had asked for the same thing from City Manager Oliver earlier in the meeting.)

I have two additional questions: If there has been a change in this policy, why did it take a decade for these changes to occur? And if the PFD paramedic identifies a problem, why does AMT have to ask for help? What if AMT is not at the scene yet?

Interestingly, Dr. Rick Miller wrote in the Peoria Area Emergency Medical Services newsletter in the spring of 2004, 

“Extension of Advanced Life Support to East Peoria, Morton, Washington, and Fulton County have taken emergency medical response to levels not even considered 20 years ago. "

So why does Dr. Miller think that ALS by first responding firefighter EMTs in Peoria's surrounding communities is a good thing, but not a good thing in Peoria?

My Comment: 

The people in Peoria have never been told what Miller’s change was in the memo but many people have confirmed to me that the above is true. 

I think it is so weak that the media did not want to print Miller’s anemic change —- the PFD paramedic can secure the airway with a tube in an injured or sick person if requested by an AMT paramedic. Remember, that the PFD paramedics moonlight in other cities (and also for AMT) and provide their paramedic skills without asking anyone. Why not in Peoria? Why do people in Peoria need to wait for paramedic skills when the paramedic may already be on scene?

John A. Carroll, MD

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My comments in 2021--

1. So this is what was happening in Peoria EMS in 2005.

2. Rick Miller started tweaking the system behind the scenes by allowing the PFD to use their paramedic skills only if asked to do so by AMT. The goal was to keep AMT totally in charge--which they did.

3. After some of my Journal Star Forum articles were published in the paper, OSF would ask someone in the community to write a rebuttal to my article.

4. Matrix, the consulting firm from Califonia, opened the door to some good changes in 2004 when they suggested that some firefighter-paramedics could actually be used as paramedics to areas of Peoria where AMT response times were long. 

5. In 2008, two Peoria Fire Departments became Advanced Life Support. And now in 2021, all the Fire Department Departments in Peoria besides one, are ALS and can function as paramedics BEFORE AMT arrives on scene.