ATTLEBORO - A smoldering dispute over whether the city should only hire firefighters who are also paramedics could flare up in the next few weeks.

The matter has already generated some hot talk between Councilor Bill Bowles who has proposed an ordinance that would require all new firefighters to be paramedics and Councilor Peter Blais who blasted the idea.

Bowles' move is an effort to codify the city's current unofficial practice of hiring firefighters who are also paramedics. The practice was established to reflect the increasing medical role of the fire department.

Blais' response

But Blais believes the law would be unfair to city candidates for firefighter jobs, particularly the sons and daughters of current firefighters. He said the offspring of firefighters are already being denied access to jobs because of the non-mandated "paramedic only" policy.

"Their children are being refused the ability to follow in their fathers' footsteps," said Blais, who added that children of firefighters should get special consideration because their parents dedicated their professional careers to the city.

And any city resident should be considered before an out-of-towner, he said.

"Let's not make it any harder for city residents, city taxpayers to work in our city," Blais said.

Bowles characterized Blais' view of the fire department as "social service agency."

The city should be focused solely on hiring the best qualified candidates, and since the majority of fire department calls are medical the best qualified are paramedics, Bowles said.

"The fire department is not a social service agency," he said. "It's a highly professional organization that we bring in to perform key functions, to put out fires and care for other taxpayers in a time of need.

"When someone is having a heart attack, we want to make sure we've done our due diligence to make sure the right person is there to respond to that call."

The matter has been assigned to the public safety committee. A public hearing has not been scheduled.

But chairman George Ross backs Bowles. "I think it's a great idea, so let's make it official," said Ross, who suffers from a heart ailment and was once wheeled out of a council meeting on stretcher by firefighters when he experienced symptoms of a heart attack.

The fire department needs more paramedics because only paramedics, who can administer potentially life-saving treatments in the field, will do in critical situations, such as heart attacks, strokes or breathing problems, Ross said.

Ross recounted an incident when his left side "went limp" and he believed he was having a stroke. While the city's ambulance responded quickly, it did not have a paramedic.

He had to wait crucial minutes for a second ambulance which was staffed with a paramedic.

As it turned out, it wasn't a stroke, but for Ross the issue was clear.

Paramedics should be the goal.

"I think we need them," Ross said.

GEORGE W. RHODES can be reached at 508-236-0432 or at grhodes@thesunchronicle.com.