BATON ROUGE - Despite being retired, a group of former EMS administrators and paramedics is taking a hard stance against a proposal to merge EMS with the Baton Rouge Fire Department.

The "Coalition for East Baton Rouge Parish Department of EMS" is made up of about a dozen retired men and women, some of whom helped create the agency 40 years ago.

"If you ask any one of them, they will tell you, 'I work for East Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services.' It is important to them. They're not a division of a fire department that just happens to do medical work," said Ralph Ladnier, former Director of EBRP Communications District. 

The merger is an organizational move that's common across the country, and the goal of the mayor-president.

"I just think a whole bunch is efficiency and not duplicating services and quite honestly, leadership," Mayor-President Sid Edwards said.

But there are a lot of unanswered questions about the potential impacts to EMS employees, and even less clear is the reason behind it.

"What I really think it is, is a money grab," said Mike Denicola, former EMS shift supervisor. 

According to the group, EMS has a $51 million budget surplus.

"We believe the fire department, fire union, the mayor and the chief are pursuing this in order to get EMS into the fire department and then any funds that EMS has that are over and above what are needed to function will become part of the fire department."

The city-parish currently faces a deficit of more than $21 million for 2026.

Edwards says the money grab allegations are simply not true.

"No, that is a — I hate to use the term lie — but it is the furthest thing from the truth. Absolutely not. Their money is their money. It is not a money grab."

The move would put EMS employees under the civil service umbrella, which the fire department is selling as an upgrade in job stability and flexibility.

They tout "powerful" state-law benefits, paid sick leave and a guaranteed 2% annual pay raise.

However, EMS employees already get a 3% annual pay raise, and they will be required to pass the Experience and Time (ENT) test.

"They're going to make those people take tests now. These people have already been through all their education to be a paramedic. They've been through all of the certifications that need to be had," Denicola said. 

According to the coalition, only 6% of current EMS employees are on board with the merger.

There are also questions about legality. The EMS Paramedic Association filed a suit claiming the merger violates the city-parish charter.

Mayor Edwards says the merger is on hold until court next year. However, he says he can bring it back up before then, if he decides to.