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Detroit tweaking dispatch policy change on non-emergency calls after heavy criticism

Posted at 11:06 AM, Oct 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-04 13:30:26-04

After taking heavy criticism, Detroit is tweaking its change to how fire and EMS crews are dispatched.

Earlier this week, the Detroit fire commissioner took hit from the city council and Firefighters Union for dispatching some units with lights and sirens and some runs without.

Now, a city spokesman tells 7 Action News that runs for downed power lines, carbon monoxide and similar cases will be answered with lights and sirens.

Non-emergency runs like washing down the pavement after a car crash or relieving firefighters at a scene that is contained will be without lights and sirens.

Firefighter Union President Mike Nevin says he wants to see the changes in writing and the union may take the city to court.

Fire Commissioner Eric Jones said the new non-emergency policy was to reduce traffic crashes. 

He said there are 3,500 runs each week with fire and EMS with 17 crashes during all of 2017.