In 2000, it took an average

of eight minutes, 15 seconds for an ambulance to get to an emergency scene

in Fayette County, compared to six minutes 50 seconds in 1999.

But county commissioners Tuesday

decided to hold off on budgeting additional emergency medical workers

to address the problem, sticking by their recently imposed hiring moratorium.

"I would be happy to take

a look at this midyear," said commission Chairman Greg Dunn during

the group's budget workshop Tuesday morning.

"We have been very clear

to all the department heads that there will be no increase," said

Commissioner Linda Wells.

Wells and Dunn voted down a

motion by commissioners A.G. VanLandingham and Herb Frady to add $187,000

to the budget for five additional emergency medical workers for the Department

of Fire and Emergency Services. With the board currently operating with

only four commissioners due to the resignation of Harold Bost, a tie vote

defeats a motion.

Jack Krakeel, director of the

department, argued that the board approved a three-year program to add

21 firefighter/medical workers to the department to improve response times,

so in effect the proposal for this year is simply a continuation of that

program, not a new request.

Krakeel said the plan is to

develop a "manpower squad," a centrally located unit of five

people per shift who could respond in any direction in case the units

closest to an emergency are already out on a call.

The request also includes two

additional firefighters each year to reduce fire response times, which

increased from 5:19 in 1999 to 5:36 in 2000. Total cost for all seven

would be $250,000.

According to Krakeel, completion

of the manpower squad could be paid for mostly through expected increases

in the number of patients being transported, and through elimination of

unscheduled overtime.

"This puts us in an extremely

difficult position," said Wells. "I can't do it today."

Wells suggested other department

heads would demand equal treatment, drawing a succinct response from VanLandingham.

"For somebody to come up and say, 'Jack got his and I want mine'

... they can whistle Dixie," VanLandingham said.

Commissioners approved the

department's budget without the additional personnel.

Among other departments' budgets

approved were the Sheriff's Department ($10.1 million plus a capital expenditure

of $37,975 for a van to transport court personnel), Public Works ($7.3

million plus $176,034 for capital expenditures) and the Water System ($11.97

million).

The board plans to go over

budgets for the remaining departments in an all-day session today.

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