SIMI VALLEY : Meeting Planned on Paramedic Program
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Advocates of a proposed Ventura County firefighter paramedic program will hold a public meeting on the topic in Simi Valley tonight.
Speakers will include Tony O’Hagen, a local firefighter who previously worked as a paramedic in Redondo Beach, and Tim Hodge, a Simi Valley City Council candidate who supports the creation of a local firefighter paramedic program.
The meeting is jointly sponsored by Citizens for a Safe and Scenic Simi Valley and the Ventura County Professional Firefighters Assn.
The issue has sparked wide public debate since the Ventura County grand jury reported in 1990 that many residents falsely believe that county firefighters provide paramedic services. Firefighters respond to medical emergencies but are not allowed to provide some advanced life-support treatment.
In many cases, the grand jury found, the firefighters arrive minutes before the private ambulance service that does provide paramedics.
Organizers of tonight’s meeting said the speakers will suggest ways to provide a firefighter paramedic service during tight economic times.
The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the community room at Simi Valley City Hall, 2929 Tapo Canyon Road.
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