Eight emergency drugs removed from fire trucks

By Mike Essian, WINK News

Story Created: Sep 23, 2008 at 7:19 PM EST

Story Updated: Sep 23, 2008 at 7:58 PM EST

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. - Eight potentially life-saving drugs have been ordered removed from all fire trucks in Collier County.

The EMS Medical Director Dr. Bob Tober says fire fighters don't need them, but fire fighters say, not having them puts you at risk.

Tober has already pulled advanced life support drugs from the city of Naples Fire Department because 12 of 14 fire fighters failed certification tests.

But fire fighters in North Naples say they're qualified and removing the drugs is a dangerous mistake.

Advanced life support drugs include beta blockers, heart rhythm stabilizers, and seizure medicine, tools fire fighters rarely have to use.

"It's not something they use everyday, but if you use a drug one time this year, one time this month, obviously that's directly impacting someone's life," James Cunningham, the president of the North Naples Fire Fighters, said.

Monday, Dr. Tober ordered eight of those medicines removed.

"The public is much safer for them to step back and receive basic life support until a guy or girl arrives on scene who uses these drugs daily," Tober said.

Cunningham says in some cases, EMS takes too long to respond, and they have to use ALS drugs.

But Dr. Tober says they only use ten percent of the ALS drugs he issued them, and some have gone unused for more than a year.

"I realized, gosh, these guys aren't using 90 percent of those drugs, I'm gonna get those off these trucks so that there's no opportunity for them to misuse a drug," Tober said.

North Naples fire officials say their personnel are trained to administer them and the drugs have never been misused, but still, Dr. Tober insists they be removed.

"It's much safer to be given basic life support and wait for the next tier of medical expertise and training to come to you than to hand you drugs that may be over your head."

North Naples fire fighters welcome more training from Dr. Tober if he thinks it's necessary, but Tober says that would be over-training them, and instead, he's focused on keeping his 120 county paramedics qualified.

In a move Tuesday by the Board of County Commissioners, the board voted to rewrite the contract for the medical director, requiring the director to answer to the commissioners.

Tober says the move is a technicality, saying ultimately, he's always answered to the board. Others say it's a step in the right direction, hoping the decision will allow them more access to the director.