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** Atlanta ambulance thief sentenced to 2 years

** Cleveland firefighters voting on merger with EMS

** Stealing an ambulance has netted one Atlanta, Georgia thief 2 years in the clink. That is the word from the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Alexis Stevens/March 13) which said Frank Ponquinette, 37, pleaded guilty to taking the vehicle from outside an Emory University Hospital emergency room. According to the newspaper, Ponquinette’s attorney said he was dehydrated and delirious during the June 2013 heist which took place with two medics still inside. After crashing the rig and fleeing the scene, Ponquinette was arrested several hours later. Though the actual sentence was 10 years, the judge ordered only 2 to be served behind bars.

** Cleveland’s fire union voted Thursday to reject  their labor contract involving amalgamation with EMS. WKYC (Tom Beres/March 13) said the no vote prompted the city’s mayor to deride the decision as detrimental to improved patient care. Frank Jackson has heavily pushed the concept since 2010. Both disciplines already share some facilities and equipment. The Plain Dealer (Cory Shaffer/March 13) quoted union spokesman Frank Szabo as saying members support amalgamation in general, but had reservations as proposed in the Thursday deal.