TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! TAKE A PEEK AT A LIST OF LOCAL POLITICOS TO BLAME FOR THE KANSAS CITY AMBULANCE RESPONSE TIME CRISIS!!!
Recently, the local news has been talking about Ambulance Response times without much context.
This decision dates back to the last Council and some horrible judgement . . . To wit . . .
TAKE A LOOK AT THE TKC COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF LOCAL POLITICOS WHO DESERVE BLAME FOR THE CURRENT KANSAS CITY AMBULANCE RESPONSE CRISIS!!!
Northland Council Dude Russ Johnson prides himself on being a MENSA genius but he played an important part in the MAST TAKEOVER DISASTER but didn't really want to be around for any of the debate or discussion.
Somebody told Council Lady Melba Curls to vote for a takeover that has provided neither the savings it promised nor the greater efficiency.
Council Lady Jan Marcason voted for the MAST TAKEOVER with no thought for the consequences and nothing more than a single-minded commitment to her potato salad.
Of course our Council Lady Cougar Cindy Circo voted for the takeover . . . Back then she was on better terms with the Fire Fighters.
Oh yeah, and let's not forget City Manager Troy Schulte's responsibility in orchestrating the mess back when we was just a hopeful bureaucrat and the white guy everybody liked instead of City Manager Wayne Cauthen.
Now . . . Council Dude John Sharp is a special case as always . . . Of course he voted for the takeover. He ran MAST without a lot of money, he's always been a strong supporter of Fire and local unions. HOWEVER . . . COUNCIL DUDE SHARP IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST POLITICOS COMING OUT TO ASK FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS CURRENT DISASTER. Meanwhile, the rest of the Council just wants folks to forget their part in creating this mess.
Like it or not . . .
NOW CHECK OUT THE TKC EXCEPTION TO THE RULE!!!
Northland Council Dude Ed Ford is the only City Hall politico smart enough to have KNOWN the MAST Ambulance Service Takeover was gonna be a debacle and has turned into another City Service that has TAKEN A HORRIBLE HIT!!!
(yes, we know in the end he voted for parts of it too . . . But at the time he was the only person who voiced opposition)
So often the denizens of City Hall would like the public to believe that Kansas City problems developed without their knowledge. In this case, trouble with Kansas City ambulance response times is a direct consequence of a misinformed and politically influenced decision of sitting Council Members who would rather keep the public ignorant about the result of their voting record.
Just drive yourself to the hospital!
ReplyDeleteTony, as usual, you have a few facts wrong. Sharp ran MAST into the ground. When he was FIRED, there was 1 hour of money left in it. He promoted the takeover, because he thought it would be another department under the City, and he would again have CONTROL of it. But instead, his other city council members, stabbed him in the back and took the bribes from Fire, and sent it to fire, and he tried to stop it then...but too late you fucking asshole Sharp, you were duped. Now, you act like he was some kind of MAST hero....Tony, your memory is fading.
ReplyDeleteGlover ran on the issue. His opponent ran on backyard strip clubs.
ReplyDeleteI never go to the Northland so is it always snowy up there like in the picture of Ed Ford?
ReplyDelete8:05- Why all the hateration on Dalmatian John? You know he rides front and center whenever the fire trucks roll.....
ReplyDeleteWhole city is a clusterfuck. Looks like somebody has a serious ax to grind with Sharp.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Jan Marcason still thinks this blog is a "must read".
ReplyDeleteThe union proposed a minumum number of ambulances on the street (basically the number we had in 2009) and the city said NO.
ReplyDeleteThe union proposed minimum staffing of those units and the city said NO.
The UNION proposed the committee to FIX the ambulance because the FD Admin and City didn't even recognize there was a problem.
Up until just a few days ago the city nor FD admin even acknowledged we were 22 medics short.
We were just lazy and not running the calls or taking too long in the hospitals. If we don't like KCFD then we should leave is what we have been told.
22 medics have left and 19 EMTs plus 14 medics applied to KCK, 2-3 to NRAD, 2-3 to Independence
We are leaving ... good luck KC pretty soon it will be just like it was in the 1970's
How is it that Smokey Dyer failed to meet a city ordinance for 24 consecutive months and gets to retire with a fat pension which was tailored exclusively for him by the current city council?????
ReplyDeleteBecause he's the chief, and he is smarter than you.
DeleteBecause he's the chief, and he is smarter than you.
DeleteI don't thin tkc let sharp off the hook. But he's the only person doing something NOW. Even Ford let go of the issue. Thanks tkc for reminding us who must take responsibility.
ReplyDeleteHave you asked the Mayor what he plans to do?
Can't wait for city control of the police department.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they have learned from the MAST takeover and will apply there newfound knowledge into making the police department better.
NOT!
Not a fingerprint or a bit of accountability in sight.
ReplyDeleteJust wait for these folks to try their hands at running the Police Department.
What could possible go wrong?
I worked for mast and now the fire ems side. Dozens of medics have walked since the merge and we have literally no help. You come to work and it is nothing to find out 10-12 ambulances are just "shut down" for the day. The city is running the service and us (emt's and medics) into the ground. We have to pick up the slack since we are so short staffed now. Our response times are tragic. We run emergency calls 10 miles away from our station and they dont understand why we dont make times. The city is suffering and the chiefs at the KCFD DO NOT CARE. They wanted to get rid of us quick, and they are getting their wish, however they dont have plans on who to replace up with.
ReplyDeleteIt's just going to get worse until they re-adjust the reporting standards and try to make the problem go away with paperwork. And what will happen then is that more people will die. The best bet is for people to keep talking about this situation so that we all know the current ambulance service is suspect. Keep working on it Tony. You'll get there.
ReplyDeleteIt will get better. You will always have complainers. I doubt the goal of the city or 3808 is to f up the whole thing. I think the main problem is apathy.
ReplyDeleteIt might get better....but through empty promises and kicks to the groin ...... Damage is done! The quality of service forever has changed at the hands of smokey and louie...what is going to happen nobody knows..... But rumor has it let's just get rid of non-emergency calls.... Bid out to another service and then there won't be any need to "fill" ambulances or hire.... Got to think of something because in 2015 I guarantee the 1/4 cent sales tax won't be there ro fund KCFD !
ReplyDeleteResponse times have tanked...yet somehow every legitimate measure of patient outcomes remains unchanged.
ReplyDeleteWhat could possibly explain that?
Because Kcfd medics still rock, no matter who signs their checks
DeleteWhy is the union the only one advocating for maintaining adequate levels of public safety? That's not even a union's job. A union's job is to get better wages and benefits for their employees.
ReplyDeleteAnd shutting down ambulances? Jesus. Why isn't there a minimum number every day?
And you rah-rah union busters wanted the city to do the same things to fire stations, close 5 or 10 each day?
You get what you deserve when you elect leadership like this.
I shudder to think what public safety would look like in this town without those union "thugs" advocating for it...
WELL SAID!
DeleteMr Tony,
ReplyDeleteI thank you for the reminder of just who were the authors of the MAST Hostile TAKEOVER. But you did forget to mention that Mayor Funkhouser and his crazy-lady were in the mix. Oohh, they were in it deep, plotting and planning with Mr. Louie Wright, waking up Mr. Smokey Dyer when it was time for him to grunt his consent. Yep, it has their footprints right up there with Russ-running For Mayor Johnson.
It would be a kindness if you could elaborate on just how TWO self described geniuses like Funkhouser and his little brainiac buddy Johnson got bamboozled by the old Local 42. Smartest guys in the room? Nope, unless it was the infamous bathroom in the Mayor's office.
to 11:15. I am a medic for the city. The union tried to have a "minimum staffing" to help us and the citizens out, and the city refused. But, there is a 100% minimum staffing on fire dept pumpers and ladder trucks. The FD is unable to "shut down" a pumper or ;adder truck. They are able to "shut down" ambulances without any repercussions. Ambulances run many more calls than the fire guys, but the fire guys get full staffing everyday. The ambulance continually does not, causing the crews on duty to run SEVERAL MORE CALLS a day than the fire suppression guys.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is that the Ambulance Service needs to be a separate entity of the city. I disagreed with the city takeover of a private company to begin with, but now that it has happened I believe the KCFD and the Ambulance Service should be separated into two different departments. Find people who are experienced at running an Ambulance Service to run that department and let the fire fighters run their department. The notion that fire fighters know what they are doing when it comes to running an Ambulance Service is absurd. Think about it. Would you ask the cops to run the fire department? No! Why? Because, it is ludicrous! Cops don’t know anything about putting out fires. Would you ask EMT’s or Paramedics to run the police department? No! Why? Because it would be crazy and they would probably get someone killed! Having the KCFD takeover the Ambulance Service was a mistake from the outset. It is high time the City Council and Mayor acknowledge it was a mistake and take the appropriate steps to fix the problem. But then, that would take real leadership, which is lacking at City Hall!
ReplyDeleteTrue. This needs to happen.
DeleteThis is such misinformed horseshit. The ambulance takeover was done because Funk was about to appoint a MAST board that was full-blown crazy. No one wanted Funk to have control of MAST. The answer they came up with was Local 42. Plus Local 42 was foaming at the mouth to get MAST.
ReplyDeleteAnd no matter what anyone says, John Sharp ran MAST into the ground. His posturing cannot change that fact.
riddle me this?
ReplyDeletehow come all the big citys run the ems as part of the fire dept.
Chicago, DCFD, LA,Dallas and thousands more that work.
I hear that you guys claim to be the big dogs but more than 75% percent of your runs are medical in nature and you cant figure out how to fix it or incorperate it.
Sounds more like puppies or spoiled
You have just named some of the worst ems departments in the country. Add Detroit and DC to the list too. That doesn't exactly prove your point but thanks for trying.
Delete90% of ambulance runs are really glorified taxi rides. As a percentage of calls, actually medical emergencies are WAY down.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the places you mentioned run emergency calls and have private companies running non emergency calls. Yes ems is part of their fire dept.....but they are able to do that because of outside help.
ReplyDelete@ 1:52 - Hogwash! The real motive behind the takeover of MAST is far too obvious. Fire calls have been going down for years. The leadership of 3808 and 42 knew this as well as anyone so they engineered the takeover of MAST with the assistance of Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Circo. Why? So, they could justify their unreasonably high pay raises (average 15-16%) this year and well into the future. Meanwhile service across the city suffers! But hey! The fire fighters are getting their raises so fuck everyone else. If they don't like, "This city will burn!!!" Right fire fighter???
ReplyDeleteso are 90% percent of our truck runs...
ReplyDeleteok some of the worst i guess
ReplyDeletebut what about Seattle,Phoenix and Clark County.
they are in the top tier.
thank you for playing