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UPDATE: Decision Still Pending On Fire Department's Bid To Upgrade Engines To Basic Life Support

A decision is still pending to allow the Clinton Fire Department to upgrade two of their fire trucks to be certified as Basic Life Support.

Monday evening at the Clinton City Council meeting, a lot of discussion was focused on this issue. As far back as early December, this proposal has been discussed. Clinton Mayor Carolyn Peters explains it was recommended the City they ask for a letter of understanding from the hospital union and the firefighters union. Mayor Peters feels the issue lies with the volunteer fighters of the Clinton Fire Department, and receiving clarification that both unions approved of the volunteers providing the service.

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Upgrading to Basic Life Support for the Fire Department will allow them to administer a handful of certain drugs when they are on a call waiting on an ambulance to arrive on scene.

President of the local firefighters union, David Dallas addressed the council over concerns and questions raised over the validity of the letter of understanding between the two unions. The Council asked for further evidence of the procedure and Dallas claims that was not necessary. Dallas says the firefighters union and ambulance personnel signed a letter stating their agreement. Because AFSCME represents the ambulance employees they too provided proof.

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In working to make sure all the legal sides of this are covered, Mayor Peters restates she does not feel all the paperwork submitted covers the paid volunteer firefigthers. Mayor Peters explains she does not want someone coming back with a potential lawsuit claiming they were fired because someone is doing union work that their union could be doing.

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Mayor Peters is awaiting the approval of the submitted documentation from the City's Labor Attorney. Once the approval has been received, a tentative meeting date of this Monday, June 11 has been set to approve the desired upgrades from the Clinton Fire Department.

The money for the upgrades is coming from the firefighters and once next year's budgeting process arrives, they will budget the cost into their budget.

UPDATE: A meeting has been announced for Monday, June 11 at 5 pm to approve the upgrade of two fire engines to basic life support for the fire department.

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