January 14, 2000
Lynch: Pay an Issue in
Using Heart Devices
The Police Department's introduction of a pilot defibrillator program,
in which the lifesaving electric shock devices have been introduced
in eight precincts around the city, underscores the need for increased
pay for cops, the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association said.
Over 900 Police Officers have been trained to use the defibrillators,
which are deployed in patrol cars in Midtown South and the 23rd
Precinct in Manhattan; the 60th and 75th in Brooklyn; the 43rd Precinct
in The Bronx; the 109th and 113th in Queens; and the 122nd in Staten
Island.
Revives the Heart
The devices, which attach by electrodes to an heart attack victim's
chest, both diagnose the patient's medical condition and deliver
a shock to revive the heart beat when required.
Officers assigned to the department's Emergency Services Unit are
already given certification courses in defibrillating patients,
and rookies at the Police Academy are also being trained in the
use of the device.
"We go out there to do our job, and part of the job is saving lives,"
said PBA President Patrick J. Lynch. "We do expect to get paid for
it, however."
While the introduction of the devices in Fire Department engine
companies in 1995 met with some resistance from rank-and-file firefighters,
the Uniformed Firefighters' Association two years ago was able to
use the added duties associated with it to win a salary increase
of as much as $1,500 for its members working as Certified first
Responders in medical emergencies.
The bonus provoked the ire of the PBA leadership at the time, which
charged that the award effectively broke a century-old parity between
firefighters and cops.
Mr. Lynch indicated that the PBA will push in the upcoming round of bargaining
for Police Officers to be similarly compensated. "This is part of an increased
workload, which involves both life-threatening situations and life-saving ones,"
he said. "It will strengthen our argument."
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