Merger must not compromise safety

The economy is struggling, and the problems aren’t isolated – national, state and city… The economy is struggling, and the problems aren’t isolated – national, state and city economies are all feeling the effects of a fiscal slump. Governor Rendell released his stimulus package this week in the hope of rejuvenating the state economy, stating, “we cannot afford to wait for a national recovery.” On a more local level, Mayor Murphy continues to expand his plans for city rejuvenation, hoping to bypass the wait for statewide recovery.

As part of the package, Murphy plans to merge the city’s fire and emergency medical services into one program, hoping the merger will save the city $7.5 million. The plan sounds reasonable, but could backfire painfully if it damages the services in question. If enacted, Murphy’s merger must be executed efficiently without compromising safety.

Ideally, a merger between different wings of the public safety force is a solid idea, and it’s not without support. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that, according to a 2001 study by the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, 71 percent of the nation’s largest cities already employ a merged system similar to the one in Murphy’s proposal. If joining the services means combined resources and less bureaucracy, there’s nothing to complain about.

But the first major concern raised by the proposal involves manpower, not equipment or paperwork. As part of his plan, Murphy would close nine of the city’s 35 fire stations, including stations in Oakland, South Side, Strip District and Bloomfield. Before Pittsburgh residents can support this plan, Murphy must clearly state how such closings will affect response times, and whether closing stations means losing jobs.

While the mayor doesn’t appear worried that his merger program will affect public safety or endanger jobs, others are less confident. On Tuesday, City Council President Gene Ricciardi introduced a bill that would actually bar the city from closing fire stations or cutting fire equipment. The bill will be discussed next week, and will clearly affect the outcome of Murphy’s proposal.

Meanwhile, the City of Pittsburgh remains in a deficit. But while economic recovery is very important to city residents, safety is more urgent, and city leaders must remember that when developing plans for recovery.