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Independence EMTs worry about high turnover rate A high rate of turnover among EMTs in Independence has some people concerned about how it will affect emergency care. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT H TURNOVER RATE COULD PUT PEOPLE AT RISK. KMBC 9'S BRIAN JOHNSON EXPLAINS. BRIAN: LARA, FIRST RESPONDERS HERE IN INDEPENDENCE SAY THEY DO THE BEST THEY CAN, AND THEY ARE PLEASED WITH THEIR PERFORMANCE BUT THE CURRENT TURNOVER RATE , MIGHT CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH CARE IN THE FUTURE, AND IT HAS THEM CONCERNED. ROBERT MILLS HAS BEEN AN EMT IN INDEPENDENCE FOR 15 YEARS. HE'S SAYS HE'S SEEN A LOT OF NEW FACES, WHICH IS A CONCERN BECAUSE EXPERIENCE MATTERS. >> HAS SOME FUMBLING AROUND TIME WHEN THEY ARE NEW. BY THEIR THIRD YEAR THEY'VE KNOCKED OFF ALMOST FOUR MINUTES OF FUMBLING AROUND TIM BRIAN: IN INDEPENDENCE, UNION FIRST RESPONDERS SAY LAST YEAR 22 OF THE 97 WORKERS QUIT, A 23% TURNOVER RATE. >> THE CRISIS IS THE TURNOVER. IT'S DOUBLE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. BRIAN: AMR, THE PRIVATE COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR AMBULANCE SERVICES IN INDEPENDENCE, SAYS THE UNION MISREPRESENTS THE DATA. IT'S VERY PROUD OF THE LOW TURNOVER RATES. 2.5% FOR FULL-TIME WORKERS AND 9.32% FOR PART-TIME. THE COMPANY DIDN'T TELL KMBC 9 HOW IT CALCULATES THE NUMBERS. >> WHY ARE PEOPLE LEAVING? >> IF YOU ARE NOT ASKING T QUESTION THEN YOU ARE PROBABLY , NOT GOING TO FIND OUT IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES. BRIAN: THE FIRST RESPONDERS SEE MAJOR ISSUES DOWN THE ROAD. THEY WANT THE CITY TO ASK AMR MORE QUESTIONS, BUT THE CITY WON'T. IN A STATEMENT, THE CITY SAYS ITS ORDINANCE DOES NOT REQUIRE A PRIVATE BUSINESS TO OPERATE IN A CERTAIN MANNER. UNION WORKERS SAY THEY AREN'T ASKING THAT. THE CITY ORDINANCE ALLOWS FOR MORE REPORTING REQUESTS AND OTHER CITIES GET MORE INFORMATION FROM AMR . THEY SAY INDEPENDENCE NEEDS TO DO THE SAME. >> WE'RE ASKING THE CITY TO KEEP TRACK OF THIS AS WELL. WE THINK THAT'S THE DUE DILIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE CITY. BRIAN: THE CITY OF INDEPENDENCE SAYS IT MONITORS PATIENT CARE REPORTS, AND HASN'T GOTTEN COMPLAINTS.