Mid City Times

At a recent City Council meeting, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association, International Association of the Fire Fighters Local 440, received approval. This agreement will amend certain provisions of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) positions joining the Fort Worth Fire Department in July 2025.

The collective bargaining process led to revisions in the CBA, granting civil service status to former MedStar employees. The MOU introduces changes to the disciplinary process for firefighters with alcohol or substance abuse issues, allowing them access to treatment and counseling. The Local 440 membership ratified this MOU by majority vote on December 13, 2024.

Valerie Washington, assistant city manager, expressed satisfaction with the agreement's approval: “We are pleased to have Mayor and Council approve the EMS MOU agreement. The City, along with the Local 440, look forward to continuing to work through the EMS transition process.”

As MedStar is dissolving, Fort Worth will take responsibility for providing emergency ambulance services through its fire department across multiple cities in Tarrant County. The agreement establishes a civil service structure for EMS operational roles, including telecommunicators.