ESCONDIDO, CA - As a result of the city's $6.7 million in budget cuts, the City of Escondido, Calif., will downsize its fleet of ambulances, according to the Union-Tribune.

The city recently laid off its entire team of emergency medical technicians, a 10-year-old program instituted to supplement its paramedics, said the Tribune.

Now staffed only by firefighter/paramedics, the downsized fleet will operate a fleet of four ambulances during the day and three units at night, reported the Tribune.

Before this change, the city operated a two-tiered ambulance system, one with more advanced life-saving equipment, staffed by firefighter/paramedics, and the other with basic equipment staffed by emergency medical technicians.

Fire Chief Mike Lowry said that, despite the hit, his department still will be able to answer the vast majority of the calls for ambulance, which averaged 24 a day in 2008, according to the Tribune.

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