Tampa's fire chief is asking the state to investigate his own department following accusations that fire department paramedics abandoned patients.

When Tampa Fire Rescue paramedics respond to calls within the city and find the problem to be minor, they then call a private ambulance company. 

In the past, paramedics would wait with a patient until the private ambulance arrived, which could take up to an hour.

"The idea behind the policy was to free up the units to be available for true emergencies," said Tampa Rescue Division Fire Chief James Phillips.

The county commission was unaware about the policy until a couple of weeks ago when American Medical Response filled them in.

"It's my understanding from checking other counties, no other county has this practice," said Commission Chairman Thomas Scott.

AMR told commissioners a random sample of its records shows the majority of patients left behind call from lower east Tampa neighborhoods.

"It was 59 percent of left individuals, which I thought was alarming," said Commissioner Jim Norman.

Commissioners voted unanimously to request an investigation by an outside agency

"Because if that indeed is correct, that's astonishing," Norman said.

Phillips said supervisors only decide to leave patients for the private ambulances if they have minor problems like mild flu symptoms, ankle sprains or minor cuts.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Chief Bill Nesmith said no patient is ever left by his paramedics.

"We have talked with our medical director and our administration and we are totally adamantly against this and we would not do that and to answer your question, no, we have not done that at all," Nesmith said.

Phillips said staying with patients until private ambulances arrive may be the right policy for the county but not the city.
 
Tampa Fire Rescue is requesting the state investigate the practice.

Tampa Fire Rescue Chief A.R.Green says he's confident that the investigation will show his department is doing nothing wrong.