The City of Fort Worth has embarked on a significant mission to incorporate EMS services from contractor MedStar into the Fort Worth Fire Department, aiming to reduce response times.
On Friday, for the first time, representatives from the fire department, firefighters association, city staff, and MedStar employees gathered to discuss the transition plan.
“Just figuring out, you know, EMTs, Paramedics, supervisors. What’s the… rank structure look like? What does the hierarchy look like?” said Michael Glynn, President of the Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association, during the meeting.
Glynn estimates the department will bring on over 400 new employees, which he believes will decrease the workload and improve response times. “I fully expect that we’re going to have more people responding to calls on a daily basis.”
Leaders also discussed aligning contracts, pay, safety, and certification requirements.
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No decisions were made at the meeting, but plans were set to discuss finer points among committees before reconvening on July 26th.
NBC 5 inquired about potential risks if the major merger encounters issues once launched. “Is there any concern here that if y’all don’t time this right, do this right, that response times will actually suffer instead of get better?” asked NBC 5’s Tahera Rahman.
Glynn expressed confidence that there wouldn’t be any issues. However, Fire Chief James Davis acknowledged some risks due to uncertainty about continued community growth. “We’re a community that’s been growing an average of 20 to 25,000 people a year in the six years I’ve been here,” Davis explained. He emphasized the department’s responsibility to adapt and grow in response to the community’s expansion.
Glynn remained confident in the new structure being built, stating, “We’re all going to work together in a better fashion than we have before because we’re all going to be working under one organization, one fire department.”
According to an outside study proposing different EMS models for Fort Worth, incorporating EMS into the fire department would cost $10.5 million, excluding capital costs like purchasing ambulances and buildings. Glynn mentioned plans to buy new ambulances and replace old ones, but did not provide an updated cost estimate.
The merger is expected to launch in 12 to 18 months, around Spring or Fall of 2025. The City Council voted to approve the move in May.
