Interesting Case In Stockton CA. Regarding Paramedic Service

In Stockton, CA, there is a big controversy regarding the fire department and AMR paramedics (those in Las Vegas).
the city of Stockton fire department does not run an ambulance service but has paramedics on it's fire trucks. The paramedics now have been ordered to stand now and only offer BLS aid to patients instead of ALS (paramedic services). They can no longer offer paramedic services to patients who are in need, even though they are qualified. AMR can only offer paramedic services in the City of Stockton. AMR also wants to take over the 911 paramedic dispatching system in the City and maybe County.
From the Reocrd out of Stockton: "Firefighters responding to medical emergencies in Stockton will stop working as paramedics today until city and San Joaquin County officials agree on a plan to restore the service, city officials announced Tuesday.
Until then, that means firefighters on engines will only perform basic life support to victims. Only crews on a separate, county-contracted ambulance will be permitted to perform advanced techniques - invasive procedures such as injections, insertion of breathing tubes, defibrillation and the use of forceps to clear an airway - at the scene.
City officials blamed the county for cornering them into what they called a dangerous position."
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100901/A_NEWS/9010310/-1/a_news
It reminds me of an opposite situation years ago in Milwaukee. The private ambulance companies were not allowed to perform paramedic services in the City of Milwaukee, even though they had paramedics and RN's on their ambulances. I remember a case where Bell ambulance was fined for saving a man's life at Summerfest when they used paramedic services (defibrillator, breathing tube and maybe drugs) to save a man's ife but the Milwaukee Fire Dept. complained and Bell was fined for saving a man's life.
So, in Stockton, the hell with paramedics on the fire engines where they have been for years, screw the patients because of AMR and County supervisors and the City of Stockton could not come to a deal.
Be forewarned and I will say this, if AMR ever attempts to do this in Clark County and the City of Las Vegas, I will be all over them like like flies on poop.
Pathetic.