Though the Chicago Fire Department appears to be addressing its problem of consistently high ambulance response times to emergency calls (Metro, Oct. 27), its solution is shortsighted and may be detrimental to the health of Chicago’s residents and visitors.
The department acknowledges that the incidence of fires has declined while the demand for ambulance services has been steadily increasing. During peak periods of ambulance call volume, and especially during mass casualty incidents (such as the Oct. 8 crash of a vehicle into pedestrians in the Loop), ambulances are diverted many miles from their coverage areas, leaving whole sections of the city unprotected.
Converting fire engine companies into pseudo-ambulances staffed by a paramedic and minimally trained firefighters does not substitute for what our sick and injured really need and deserve–more ambulances. This so-called “cutting edge” plan seems only to be cutting the real issue–cost.
