Ed Eckart was commissioner of Cleveland's EMS for over ten years until he retired last November. In his new post as assistant director of public safety, Eckart is charged with completing the merger of the city's fire and EMS departments by the end of 2012. The new department will be called the Division of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Medical Service. Mayor Frank Jackson said he asked Eckart to make the integration "budget neutral" so that it neither grows nor cuts the two units combined $112 million budgets. Jackson says combined units will be able to respond more efficiently to emergencies especially after the trauma center in East Cleveland reduced operations.
Mayor Frank Jackson: The outcome will be that anybody who responds {to an emergency} will be able to fight a fire or provide you medical service.
Eckart will earn $85,000 in his new position. All sides agree there will have to be negotiations with the unions representing the city's 906 firefighters and 240 EMS personnel. Union heads for the departments of fire and EMS say they are ready for the merger.
Cleveland's Fire Chief Paul Stubbs will stay on to help with the merger, retiring in April 2012 after 35 years of service.