NEWPORT — The Professional Firefighters of Vermont voted at their quarterly membership meeting in South Burlington to support the Vermont State Employees Association in opposing the cuts to the PSAP/Dispatch centers in Derby and Rutland.
The group says firefighters and EMS workers all across Vermont count on the experience of the highly trained call takers and dispatchers to perform their jobs and ensure the safety of the public and emergency workers.
They say that when the calls to these PSAP’s are increasing three percent per year, they feel that no jobs should be eliminated, and that the loss of experience at centers in Derby and Rutland will be a huge blow to the Vermont 911 system.
“Response times are paramount and the members of the PFFV would hate to see anyone get hurt or killed because of cuts to public safety,” PFFV President Ben O’Brien said. “The longer it takes for responders to get out the door, the longer a fire goes unsuppressed or a medical condition goes untreated.”
They say when firefighters and EMS workers all around Vermont are responding on more calls for service, emergency workers rely on the information provided during the 911 calls. This information allows them to provide better response time to fire and emergency medical responses.
The Professional Firefighters of Vermont represent 250 firefighters and EMS workers in 12 Locals of the International Association of Fire Fighters throughout the state of Vermont.
