I would like to comment on the fire-based controversy in Stanwood. In 2004 Stanwood Ambulance responded to 2,400 911 calls in its geographical area, which includes Camano Island, Stanwood and District 14 (Warm Beach and Freeborn).
These 2,400 911 calls make up about 80 percent of the total 911 calls in this same geographical area, which means that this is not a busy EMS system as it sits today. The two fire districts, Camano and District 14 want to control the ambulance-generated revenue by going to fire-based EMS, but here lies the rub: Chief Tom Fields of Camano Fire and Chief Rex Lindquist of District 14 each want to be in charge and refuse to work with the other. It makes no fiscal sense nor does it make any EMS sense to divide the ambulance service in two. Both Chief Fields and Chief Lindquist know this because they brought Mr. Roy Waugh, assistant director of paramedic training at Harborview Medical Center, up to Stanwood for consultation in this matter and Mr. Waugh told them both to leave the system intact.
Since both Chief Fields and Chief Lindquist insist on going to fire-based EMS, they should do it together. They should put their egos aside and check their desires for control at the door, roll up their sleeves and work out a plan together to create and combine Camano Island, Stanwood and District 14 into one fire-based EMS system.
If they truly want to be fiscally responsible and believe that they are servants of the people then this is the only direction to take. If they want to build their own little empires and exhaust the citizens through taxation, then they should continue on the present course.
Bob Schroepfer
Camano Island
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