11:44 AM EST on Tuesday, March 15, 2005

For weeks now, I’ve been talking to paramedics and EMTS about those hours. Two people were suspended after walking off the job. They had worked at least 16 hours.

Long hours in emergency medical service is not new, but with a merged EMS, it’s gotten much worse. Nearly one hundred shifts remain unfilled, due to attrition.

It has become commonplace in Metro Louisville for paramedics and EMTS to work 16 or more hours a day.

“I may have to compromise somebody's care,” says “D.”

Beside the split second medical decisions, this paramedic worries about becoming a medical emergency behind the wheel of a two-ton ambulance on so little rest.

“Your reflex time is slow. You have to be fully alert to do that sort of emergency driving and after 16 to 18 hours you can't be fully alert.”

This paramedic, we call “D” has over 20 years of experience asking not to be identified.

“If anybody finds out I am talking, I am going to lose my job.”

Two co-workers were temporarily suspended without pay in the past couple of weeks after refusing to work more than 16 hours. 'D' tells us one had childcare issues.

“What we can not tolerate at this time are people that feel it is appropriate to walk out of a shift in the middle of a shift,” says Dr. Neil Richmond. “This puts the lives of the citizens, the residents, the visitors, of Louisville in great jeopardy.”

Dr. Richmond, only weeks ago, became the head of a newly merged EMS service.

“This is a very challenging time for the system,” says Dr. Richmond, who inherited old problems from urban and suburban districts. He says there is, at least for now, no other option.

“Would I prefer everybody is on a 12 hour shift? Absolutely. Will we be there in seven weeks? Absolutely.”

Richmond says by the end of March, he'll have 50 new paramedics and EMTS on board. Good, but right now not good enough to quell the concerns of paramedic “D.”

“The health and safety of my colleagues as well as the people in the community is being compromised,” says “D.”

In addition to those long hours, the paramedic we spoke to tells us the city did not train anyone to cross over from urban to suburban and vice versa, which means they had to figure out how to use new equipment …while taking care of patients.

Web story produced by Jay Ditzer.