Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Letter To The Editor - 2-9-17

I just heard something interesting that no one will know happened unless you were awake at the time. Salisbury Ambulance just got dispatched to a Chest Pain call and it was dispatched as a "Delta" call. Chief Hoppes has a departmental policy that the paid engine crews are to respond on ALL "Delta" calls as a medical assist for the ambulance. Well I listened to the call on my scanner and waited and waited for the engine crew out of Station 16 to respond and they never did respond. Now let's see if the engine fire officer or the on duty assistant chief will get written up by Richard A. Hoppes, Chief of the Department? Probably not because the fire officer on the engine was their favorite boy wonder Rob Frampton, 18-A Shift Captain and their favorite butt kissing Assistant Chief was the one mentioned on her several times, A-shift Assistant Chief Jimmie Gladwell. Why didn't the engine crew and the assistant chief take the medical assist with the ambulance on the Delta call as required by Departmental Policy?? Not hard to figure out since it was around 3:45 AM - 4 AM when dispatched. They violated Departmental Policy because it was bed time and they wanted to get paid to sleep. Well what's it going to be Hoppes, Gladwell or Frampton? Are you going to keep picking and choosing the ambulance calls you want to respond on or are you going to stick with the policy. If you stick with the policy then Gladwell and Frampton need to be written up, time off without pay and/or Demotions for sleeping through the calls! I thought the the ever so important fire engine had to respond on all ambulance calls to save lives?? Not if it means interrupting their beauty sleep!! They all have to be rested up for their other full time jobs the next 3 days. That's right ladies and gentleman we the tax payers are paying our paid fireman to sleep at night.

Since Ocean City paid firemen got busted for sleeping through calls they are losing their 24/72hr shifts. This is exactly what should happen in Salisbury. It's time to do away with the 24 hour shifts and go back to the 8 hour rotating shifts like they used to do. No one on the city clock should get paid to sleep.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

for your information - they did 10's and 14's at 16, never 8's

Almost had it all correct.

Anonymous said...

24 hour shifts should have never been allowed in the first place. I have heard these employees brag about how good they have it. Then I have also heard the complaints about how tired they are because they have not slept in two days. Do we really them working with no sleep on regular basis. Seems like OSHA should have a say.

Anonymous said...

There is another side to this tale. Question the other side, those you name or those in charge and report back your "I heard".

Was an ambulance dispatched or is is the chest pain patient still waiting? Do the two you mention work 365 nights a year or perhaps just a few nights per week/month? Where ban the "Delta" info be found?

Often some details are incorrect when reported by just one person's assessment.

Anonymous said...

You really need to get a LIFE.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why they would need an engine on a medical call .

Anonymous said...

@834 THANK YOU!

ppl just cant wait to complain about things they have no idea about...

Anonymous said...

they need an engine on an ambulance all to run up the amount of calls the city has in a year to justify why they need more money from the county. Just like they had engines run with ambulances for any snow on the ground but county departments do not.

Anonymous said...

In the Marine Corps I got paid to sleep every day from one to as many hours as I needed, depending on circumstances. Some days I didn't even get the one hour, but that's how it goes.

Anonymous said...

Scanner junkies. No life other than living off the misery of others.

Anonymous said...

I agree!!!

Anonymous said...

That the Fire Dept. have to respond is a joke!!!
The taxpayers are being ripped off big time.

Anonymous said...

The response is not for all Delta level calls. There is a standard list of Delta level calls that the department responds on. When we went on Delta level calls there were some that complained that the engine went on too many calls. Now we are back to responding on the national standard and that is not enough? No winning with you all.

Lynn Mitchell said...

Joe - you're at it again !! Be thankful someone is there when needed. Quit jamming on Salisbury Fire Department all the time and grow up. Everyone fussing has no idea what goes on or how hard things can get for the crews. Why not say thank you once and awhile?

JoeAlbero said...

Lynn, It never ceases to amaze me how, (oh let's say) ridiculous people like you are.

You see Lynn, I didn't write the letter. I've also never commented on this article.

Thank You.

Anonymous said...

Where in the world has this author been? People with State funded positions sleep on the job all the time. Snoring was a DAILY occurrence in the state library system. They go to work and literally have nothing to do but surf the internet, watch movies, build models, hack each other's computers while the administration does the same or is busy pursuing their own personal business or hobbies. They literally get paid for nothing! Full time positions with part time 5 hour a day work for politicians family members. Employee expense accounts for dinner and drinks, outright theft in Travel reimbursements. That's your tax money at work baby and it equals Millions of hard earned tax dollars given to thieves that are allowed to justify their own existence with zero oversight.

Anonymous said...

Wow I would love to how you people would react to fire departments in DC/metro area.