4A |
WEDNESDAY EDITION
CHANTELLE MEYER , EDITOR
| SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
| 541-902-3520 | CMEYER @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
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Government for a redress of grievances.
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” — Thomas Jefferson (1800)
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LETTERS
(Editor’s Note: View-
point submissions on
these and other topics are
always welcome as part
of our goal to encourage
community discussion and
exchange of perspectives.)
Unconscionable
Decision
As a longtime resi-
dent of Dune City, I was
very disappointed to read
about the city council’s re-
action to Councilor Bob
Orr’s very reasonable sug-
gestion on mask proto-
cols for in-person council
meetings.
Since all public school
and other civic admin-
istrators are willing to
wear protective masks
to prevent the spread of
COVID-19, it is uncon-
scionable that our local
elected officials would re-
fuse to do likewise.
— Mike Babcock
Florence
What Will You Do?
To the “medical free-
dom” protesters and the
anti-vaccine community:
What will you do —
what will you do when
you or a loved one gets
the virus (and you will)?
Will you buy some ani-
mal dewormer, or will you
call 911 and ask the ER
doctor if it’s not too late to
get vaccinated as they put
you on a ventilator?
The state’s healthcare
system is collapsing be-
cause of you.
People are going to die
or be financially wiped
out (perhaps you will be
one of them).
So when your lungs fill
up with fluid because of
your “freedom,” don’t call
the overburdened hospi-
tal — call hospice.
If that seems extreme,
I have some skin in this
game. My daughter is the
head of an ICU unit in the
only hospital in a county
in this state, and she has
been the last human con-
tact for dozens of people
exactly like you — peo-
ple dying convinced that
COVID-19 doesn’t exist.
It has affected her phys-
ically, mentally and emo-
tionally, same with her
staff, same with every
healthcare worker in this
country.
So fine, don’t get vacci-
nated — just don’t ask for
help when you get sick.
— Edward Gunderson
Florence
Why I Support Public Over For Profit When it Comes
to Ambulance Service in Western Lane County
for the district.
Since its inception, the board has
established high goals and service
expectations. Meeting those expec-
tations is not free. It requires an in-
vestment in both people and equip-
While I have been on the Board ment.
WLAD works to attract and retain
of Directors for Western Lane Am-
bulance District (WLAD) for the
last 16 years, this letter represents
Guest Viewpoint
my opinion, not that of Western
Lane Ambulance District or its
By Mike Webb
Board of Directors.
Community Member
Currently, WLAD collects
property taxes to help support the
emergency medical service (EMS) highly skilled employees to serve the
needs of Western Lane County. The people of the district. The district’s
total amount is $0.77 per $1,000 tax pay scale is on par with other Ore-
assessed value. Last year, WLAD gon Public agencies that provide fire
taxes accounted for 7% of my prop- and paramedic services. It needs to
be to attract and retain the quality
erty tax bill.
WLAD’s service area is large. It our taxpayers expect.
In addition, employees participate
runs from the Lincoln County line
to the north to Douglas County line in ongoing training programs and
to the south. To the east, we service take advantage of opportunities of-
beyond Swisshome and Deadwood fered to improve skills and advance
on Highway 36, and to milepost 26 certifications. This encourages the
on Highway 126. Switching to pri- some of the very best to come to
vate for-profit ambulance service work for WLAD, and to stay.
As a result of extensive training,
might reduce our property tax bill a
the majority of Western Lane’s Para-
little, but what would we lose?
The district is governed by a medics are certified as Critical Care
board of directors elected from our Paramedics, which meets Peace-
local area to represent the citizens of Health standards for transporting
high-risk patients to RiverBend in
the district.
Private ambulance services are Springfield, Ore. With taxpayer as-
privately owned and operate to sistance, the district is also provid-
make a profit. They are not locally ed modern, well-maintained am-
controlled by the people of the dis- bulances and additional lifesaving
equipment, tools considered neces-
trict.
With local control, we can re- sary to the quality expectations of
spond to changing demands of our taxpayers.
With the assistance of your tax
the community. Would a private,
for-profit entity be as responsive? dollars, the District is also able to
Would they make decisions related maintain staff at levels needed to
to staffing levels, equipment and the cover expected demand, even when
like based on the need of the com- the demand doesn’t meet “prof-
munity, or on their need to make a it” expectations. Normally, WLAD
staffs three ambulances 24 hours a
profit?
The WLAD Board of Directors day, 7 days a week. If it’s quiet, staff
provides management oversight and remains in place and dedicated to
establishes goals and expectations responding when the need arises.
(Editor’s Note: Viewpoint submis-
sions on this and other topics are al-
ways welcome as part of our goal to
encourage community discussion and
exchange of perspectives.)
Our district is somewhat unique-
when calls come in; they tend to
come in bunches. Sometimes three
ambulances aren’t enough. There
are times when the district has five
calls at once. Working closely with
Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue, we
have access to additional resources
that help maintain service levels
even during periods of extreme
demand.
In 2020, our response time met
standard of cover expectations, an
industry response time measure-
ment, 98% of the time. A nearby
private ambulance provider met the
same standard of cover expectations
less than 80% of the time during the
same period. Serving to this level
may cost more, but I strongly be-
lieve it helps save lives.
Western Lane also serves the out-
lying areas of Mapleton, Deadwood,
Swisshome and beyond. The up-
river areas have volunteer fire de-
partments with no full-time staff.
WLAD works with the volunteers to
provide training to help with them
with initial medical response, but
they still depend on WLAD to pro-
vide medical treatment and trans-
port. Calls to the outlying areas of
the district stretch resources, tak-
ing medics away from the popula-
tion centers for extended periods of
time. Our taxpayer dollars help the
district cover the service area and
help save lives. I would like to find a
way to dedicate more service to the
upriver communities.
Would a for-profit ambulance
be able to cover the outlying areas?
Would it cause an undue burden on
the volunteer fire departments?
I’m not in favor or privatizing the
ambulance service. Personally, pay-
ing under $200 in annual property
taxes to assure me and my family
that we will have quality emergency
medical service seems like a pretty
good deal.
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WHERE TO WRITE
President Joseph Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
TTY/TDD: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
Email: Sen.DickAnderson@
oregonlegislature.gov
Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown
State Rep.
Boomer Wright (Dist. 9)
State Sen. Dick
Anderson (Dist. 5)
160 State Capitol 900 Court St.
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Salem, OR 97301
Message Line:
503-986-1409
503-378-4582
Email: Rep.BoomerWright@
www.oregon.gov/gov
oregonlegislature.gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244 | 541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
Lane County Dist. 1
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
Email: Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753 | 541-465-6750
Florence City Council
www.merkley.senate.gov
& Mayor Joe Henry
Florence City Hall, 250
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio Highway 101, Florence, 97439
(4th Dist.)
541-997-3437
2134 Rayburn HOB
ci.florence.or.us
Washington, DC 20515
Email comments to Florence
202-225-6416
City Recorder Kelli Weese at
541-269-2609 | 541-465-6732 kelli.weese@ci.florence.or.us
www.defazio.house.gov