KANSAS CITY, MO -
It's official. Kansas City's Mayor and City Council have voted to merge MAST Ambulance into the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department.
MAST has been operating as a non-profit with about $13 million in funding from the city.
Toy Schulte, the City Budget Officer, said combining MAST into the Fire Department will save the city $1.8 million. Schulte said it's about economy of scale, folding medical and other insurance under one roof to eliminate redundancy.
Kansas City Fire Chief Smokey Dyer, the new Administrator of MAST, said nothing would change in the foreseeable future.
Dyer said the same personnel, emergency equipment and medical protocol will be used. But, he didn't have information about how the current MAST employees would fall under the pension plan which some say is a big ticket item.
Without those details, Councilman Ed Ford and the "Citizens to Save MAST" said the vote has been rushed.
"I say let the citizens have a vote on this," said Lesa Gonzalez. "I do not think the time in Kansas City or the nation is right to change something that is working."
It's unclear when Chief Dyer will begin overseeing MAST. He said the first step is to meet with a strategy team to find the best way to merge the ambulance service with the Fire Department.
MAST has been operating as a non-profit with about $13 million in funding from the city.
Toy Schulte, the City Budget Officer, said combining MAST into the Fire Department will save the city $1.8 million. Schulte said it's about economy of scale, folding medical and other insurance under one roof to eliminate redundancy.
Kansas City Fire Chief Smokey Dyer, the new Administrator of MAST, said nothing would change in the foreseeable future.
Dyer said the same personnel, emergency equipment and medical protocol will be used. But, he didn't have information about how the current MAST employees would fall under the pension plan which some say is a big ticket item.
Without those details, Councilman Ed Ford and the "Citizens to Save MAST" said the vote has been rushed.
"I say let the citizens have a vote on this," said Lesa Gonzalez. "I do not think the time in Kansas City or the nation is right to change something that is working."
It's unclear when Chief Dyer will begin overseeing MAST. He said the first step is to meet with a strategy team to find the best way to merge the ambulance service with the Fire Department.
