MOORPARK : City Urges County to Train Paramedics

Moorpark City Council members have voted to continue to lobby the county to train firefighters stationed in the city as paramedics as soon as possible.

The City Council on Wednesday also decided to review a proposal by Pruner Ambulance Co. to station one of the company’s ambulances in the city.

However, council members agreed that the $125,000 that the city has budgeted for paramedics should be reserved for a county-run program. No money is set aside in this year’s budget for the cost of stationing a Pruner ambulance in the city.

“I can’t imagine how any member of the Board of Supervisors . . . could possibly vote against” a firefighter paramedic program in Moorpark, Councilman Scott Montgomery said, adding that the city would pay the entire cost of the service.

At least 20 Ventura County firefighters and about 10 residents of Moorpark and Simi Valley attended the meeting to show support for the proposal to train county firefighters as paramedics.

“This shows that we’re supporting it, residents are supporting it,” said Ventura County firefighter Kevin Kissane of Moorpark.

In addition to hearing from supporters of the firefighter paramedic program, the City Council was addressed by Steve Murphy of Pruner.

Murphy elaborated on the company’s earlier proposal, saying it has a contingent lease on a possible station site that would allow it to put an ambulance in the city “virtually immediately.”

The cost for the site would be $13,800 a year, bringing the total annual cost for the service to $77,800, not including any needed site improvements, Murphy said.

Council members said they would not discount the Pruner proposal. But a firefighter paramedic program appeared to be the best long-term solution, officials said.