NSW's ambulance officers aren't ruling out "unprecedented" levels of industrial action, over a government decision to scrap the Ambulance Rescue wing.
The Fire Brigade will soon take over the majority of the rescue units, with 88 of the state's most highly trained paramedics being transferred to other sections of the service.
Michael Williamson from the Health Union says he will wait to see what the premier says in the next 24 hours, but has called on him to intervene.
“It’s unprecedented,” he said.
“So I guess, in terms of that, is there a possibility of the withdrawal of services in the form of a strike? Yes, there is.”
Earlier
Dozens of the state's finest paramedics will be out of a job on Thursday, with the Ambulance Rescue Service to be scrapped.
The move was touted after a review into emergency services but now means already stretched fire crews will now have to take on extra workloads, especially at car crashes.
Paramedic 'Bill' has told 2GB's Murray Wilton they were told of the news by SMS.
"It (the SMS) basically states as of Thursday morning at 8am Bankstown Rescue, Caringbah Rescue, St Ives Rescue, Point Blair Rescue, Parramatta Rescue, Camden, Woolongong and Newcastle will cease to operate."
He said the Ambulance Rescue Service was specifically trained and there won't be enough resources for the Fire Brigadec to cope if they are disbanded.
"We're all trained paramedics on the rescue truck."
"We're also vertically accredited so if you're trapped in a difficult situation, on a cliff or whatnot, we attend those scenes as well.
"We're also swift water accredited. We're the most highly trained rescue organisation in the state basically."
NSW Health Minister Reba Meagher said in a statement the action was intended to boost frontline Ambulance paramedics.
"The Ambulance Service of NSW is the only one in Australia which maintains a rescue function,” Ms Meagher said.
“In fact, even within NSW the majority of rescue services are already provided by the NSW Fire Brigade and other specialist rescue units.
"So it makes sense for our highly-trained ambulance paramedics to focus on providing the sort of emergency patient care the community expects.”
The decision is expected to trigger an explosion of industrial action, including paperwork bans and refusal to transfer patients between hospitals.
Shadow Health Minister Jillian Skinner says those who are left will not want to stay.
"They'd been contacted by their members, when this rumour first started, who were saying they were not going to stay if the Ambulance Rescue units were abandoned.
"So I worry that we'll have even more resignation from a service that is desperate, for lack of staff."