The idea of using firefighters as paramedics isn't sitting well with Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara.
Firefighters being used as first responders in less severe medical situations may become the norm in Ontario should a pilot project be successful.
McNamara says the Association of Municipalities Ontario is lobbying to block the move.
He tells AM800 News, the cost of paramedics is shared by the province, but additional training for firefighters would be downloaded to the municipality.
"Emergency Medical Services: 50/50. Fire services: 100% municipal," says McNamara. "Now they're basically wanting to put paramedics on fire trucks to respond to certain levels of emergency services that normally are done by EMS."
Unless the province is paying for additional training and services, McNamara says municipalities will have to pull money from other areas.
"We provide 80% of all services in the province of Ontario on 9 cent tax dollars," says McNamara. "Can we absorb more, but at what cost, do we defer more infrastructure, reduce services in other areas that we're responsible?"
McNamara says there would be no real benefit to the move.
"Will it improve patient healthcare? At the end of the day you talk to base hospital doctors, talk to all of them, they'll tell you, 'No, it won't,'" says McNamara. "It would even put additional pressures on them to make sure the protocols are followed."
Unless the province is paying for additional training and services, McNamara says municipalities will have to pull money from other areas.
"We provide 80% of all services in the province of Ontario on 9 cents tax dollars. Can we absorb more, but at what cost, do we defer more infrastructure, reduce services in other areas that we're responsible?"
McNamara says Tecumseh already pays millions of dollars for insurance that would likely increase with the addition of medical services on fire trucks.
— with files from Zander Broeckel