Comments on: EMS/levy Agenda Bill

By: Lillian Broadbent

Lillian Broadbent — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

You are absolutely correct. The part our police officers play in all emergencies is often overlooked, but then they are not lobbying for a levy.

By: oltymer

oltymer — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

How come nobody backs up the Police Officers who are the real first responders? They saved my wife’s life by performing CPR on her before the Fire/EMS showed up. Don’t get me wrong, they did great as well, but if it wasn’t for the Ocean Shores Police, I’d be living without my best friend of 35 years.

By: Lillian Broadbent

Lillian Broadbent — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I have the greatest respect for the men and women who provide EMS services and fire protection for our city.

The question is not their dedication or effort or our support for them.

The question is one of funding mechanisms and funding levels. Unless we wish as a city to rush from one funding crisis to another, it is time to stop and look at the bigger picture.

By: Question authority

Question authority — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Private Ambulance Services offer transportation functions where EMS services are for lifesaving services. These are two distinctly different services.

The private firm could take the people who need transport to doctors or hospitals for procedures that are not life threatening or are required because of their lack of mobility and thus cannot utilize the Grays Harbor Transit Dial A Ride program.

To say that citizens do not want private ambulance service here is a little over reaching. Do you have any empirical data or a poll that shows this? Probably not. The purpose of Private Ambulance Service is similar to our Taxi service. It is a supplemental service to the Public Transportation Service.

What is happening now is that the EMS services are being used to do what the Private Ambulance Service should be doing. We are using an expensive resource where a more appropriate service should be utilized.

This is similar to one using outpatient services rather than being hospitalized for a procedure.

Maybe some utilization review is needed to assess the current services.

Lillian is on point. We need to see what services are needed for those who live here. We need to not keep throwing money at things. We need to act like we did with the back up firetruck. Where the department wanted 300,000 dollars, 5,000 dollars did the trick.

We need to learn to do more with less.

Maybe the new clinic will happen. I suspect not, since funding for medical purposes seem to be being cut by government. Maybe better transportation to medical servics in Aberdeen are needed. That would be in the form of frequency and proximity to those services.

By: Heather McNeill

Heather McNeill — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Wow I can’t believe the back and fourth banter about EMS services. Our population’s lives depend on these highly-trained providers. Private ambulance is not at all what our citizens want here. Private ambulance companies do NOT provide the same level of service that our firefigter paramedics provide. I suggest that you research to find out what other communities pay for there EMS/Fire protection. This is an insurance policy that I would gladly pay for. Our clinic is too busy and only open part time. When I quit breathing I want an Ocean Shores Paramedic there. That’s an easy decision if you ask me. Our Fire department runs alot of 911 calls– between 2,000 and 3,000 calls a year. We have a new fire station soon;let’s make sure that they are well-staffed and equipped to respond. I am more than willing to pay .27 cents per day for piece of mind. I bet you spend .27 cents on other things that may not be so important. Take pride in YOUR fire department it is a cornerstone of this community and we need to take our public health and emergency services most seriously.

By: Lillian Broadbent

Lillian Broadbent — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Minor correction. The EMS levy requires a 60% super majority. The levy ‘lift’ requires only a simple majority 50% + 1. In either case, the citizens are being asked to pay more – much more. 19 cents to 50+? (Either way). There will be no return to the tax payers for the monies that will no longer be spent from the general fund.

Let us get honest with this. There will be NO control over the newly found money in the general fund and shortly we will be asked for a special levy to pay for road maintenance etc.

Once again, let us please look at what we need for survival in this EMS cycle. Then someone PLEASE look at the big picture, create a plan that will serve the people who live here. A plan that will meet the basic needs of the taxpayers, not the wants of some council members and/or city employees.

Once basic funding is in place, then we can look at the ‘wants’ of our citizens. If we stumble forward just throwing more money at the status quo, we will have failed miserably.

If you ask to much of the taxpayers and they vote NO, then we are really out of options.

By: Question authority

Question authority — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

How can a 60 percent super majority be a minority? The point is that you have to convince more people to carry the day. What happens to the other departments that are not earmarked? The Library, Police, Code Enforcement, Administration, and Public Works departments all depend on the General Fund. What if they need more too? What stops the Fire Department from asking for an EMS Levy next year?
There is an effect on the non-earmarked portion of the city levy. The available amount is smaller in the future. That means less to maintain roads, parks, infrastructure, and the other department needs.
Yes, it may provide the funds that currently are spent from the General Fund, but has anyone questioned the collection rate of current bills? Are we charging enough for the use of these services so that the user is paying for the services rendered? If we are supporting the North Beach with services that the County is not, should we not be compensated or force them to support their citizens?
We should have the department open their books completely to the citizens and maybe establish a Fire Commission to oversee the department in exchange for this method of funding.
Next will be the Fire Utility. Another attempt to bypass the normal process.
Where are the statistics that we used to get that identified calls within the city and outside the city. Where are the statistics that show how many trips are transportation and not EMS? Maybe we need a private ambulance service to provide those services. With Medicare and Medicaid being cut, you know who is going to pick up the slack. You the taxpayer.