On May 20, 2002, the Civil Service Commission voted unanimously for the executive officer of the Commission to gather and provide additional information and encourage input from the public regarding Rule 313 - Certification of Eligibles, for promotion within the San Francisco Fire Department. This action took place a year and a half after Local 798 began negotiating with the Civil Service. Apparently the Civil Service Commission still has doubts as to how they may best serve the San Francisco Fire Department and its membership. It is the Commission’s want to change from the Rule of Three Scores to the Rule of Seven, or as was suggested once again last week to statistically valid grouping (banding).

The Rule of Three Scores has never been used, never, for promotional exams, suppression or

EMESS

On May 23, 2002, Chief Trevino met with H-3s (other meetings are being scheduled to accommodate all H-3s) to discuss alternatives and inform members of the new steps and schedules to address training issues for H-3s. The most obvious and immediate concerns for H- 3s was how truck training would continue if Chief Trevino were to end the current program.

Two (2) major factors have led Chief Trevino to cancel the ALS Truck concept:

1. Dispatches, taking truck companies well outside their first alarm areas for extended intervals and;
2. Breakdowns associated with those dispatches.

Chief Trevino appears to be a willing participant to fix EMESS. However, appropriate solutions only drag us into the quagmire of budget constraints. My personal opinion is to re-organize the Presidio if the renaissance of an EMS fire-based system is to succeed. More accountability from Rescue Captains is not only necessitated by implementation of the one and one program but also their daily presence at the Presidio. Rather than being a third party observer (this does not include all of the Rescue Captains) at incidents, Rescue Captains, now more than ever before, need to be involved directly in patient care. Also, Rescue Captains should be responsible for ambulances in their District; much the same as the Battalion Chiefs are responsible for engine and truck companies in their District.

Chief Shortall was called upon to answer questions Chief Trevino was not familiar with. He deflected the real issues with the same tired rhetoric we heard six years ago at the Town Hall Meetings “...we’ll look into that”, “...that policy has been revised”, and.. “thanks for bringing that to our attention”. Not very momentous or inspirational. We realize the concept of working together and change is foreign to the EMS Administration. However, the evolution of the merger will not be accomplished without a conscious effort from within EMS. If reorganization is not supported, then the merger will forever be labeled by its acquired acronym, EMESS.

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