I live in and pay taxes in rural Arlington. Our fire department is Fire District No. 21, which is not the same as Arlington’s fire district. Fire District No. 21 surrounds the city of Arlington.
On Aug. 1, Fire District No. 21 will lose its paramedic service. The last three levies that the district has run have failed to pass. Another levy with a 48 cents per $1,000 rate increase will be put before district voters, with ballots due April 23.
If it fails to pass there will no longer be paramedic service available in this large rural area. There will still be EMTs responding to calls, but only to provide Basic Life Support. Paramedics are trained and certified to perform skills such as intubation, starting IVs, administering life-saving medications and many other advance life support skills that EMTs without additional training are not certified to perform.
In countless medical emergencies timing is everything! If life-saving intervention does not begin in time, that person could die. There are so many children now with anaphylactic allergies, asthma, diabetes, seizure disorders and many other serious medical concerns. In addition, we are surrounded by a large aging population with increased medical problems.
My husband and I fall into this category. Naturally we are concerned about out taxes going up and they will if this levy passes. But if it’s your loved one who is experiencing a medical emergency, wouldn’t you want the most qualified individual responding to your 911 call for help? A paramedic can provide pre-hospital medical treatment that might make the difference between life and death.
Please help make the difference. Vote yes on this very important levy. It could be your loved one you are making that 911 call for.
Carol A. Safford
Arlington
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