With regard to the article by Tom Sissom (Jan. 29) and the rural ambulance proposal, I would like to ask the citizens of Benton County to stop for a moment and realize just how fortunate we are to have such a strong EMS system in Benton County.
The first link in the EMS system is the first responders. They are volunteer firefighters who are trained to provide basic life support. They are often the first to arrive on the scene and do patient assessment, stabilization, wound care, have oxygen available, and may also have an automatic external defibrillator available and can perform CPR.
The second link in the EMS system is the ambulance. The EMTs and paramedics on the ambulance provide advanced life support such as IVs, medication … etc. The care they give is critical to the survival of patients who are seriously injured or have suftered a heart attack or stroke.
The final link in the EMS system is the hospital, where doctors and nurses are standing by to take over care of the patient. The goal is to have the patient at the hospital within “the golden hour” when they have the best chance for survival.
Now, imagine that your loved one has suffered a heart attack in your home in rural Benton County.
The first responders will respond, just as they have been trained to do.
They will do everything they can to try and save your loved one until they physically and legally can’t do anymore. The patient most likely will not survive. When you remove the second link in the chain of the EMS system, there will be no lifesaving transport to the hospital.
Are you prepared to stand by and watch your loved one die because you voted against this proposal? No one is being “held hostage,” “threatened” or “double taxed.” You are being given an opportunity to ensure your family will continue to receive the same excellent emergency medical care that has been available to them for years.
Some people are saying the $85 fee is prohibitive.
It is $7.08 a month and can be budgeted for throughout the year. What is your loved one’s life worth?
LANA BEARDEN
Volunteer firefighter
Rogers
Opinion, Pages 5 on 02/04/2014