Emergency Services gets $5M boost in proposed 2015 budget

The city’s Emergency Services is getting a $5 million boost in 2015, and paramedics are the big winners.

If the budget passes at city council, $3.7 million will go toward hiring 56 paramedics and two new supervisors.

The remainder goes to Toronto Fire, which will get $1.2-million to help hire 25 fire prevention and education personnel.

While the fire association is pleased with this funding, it says regular staffing levels still need to be addressed.

“We’d like to have seen something in there addressing the lack of fire crews, maintaining 124 in service all the time,” Toronto Fire Association president Frank Ramagnano said.

He said of the 124 trucks the service operates, four on average are parked each day because of the lack of staffing.

And while the proposed budget mentions new fire halls being built in Downsview and Rexdale, the association says these projects are behind schedule.

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