No Membership, No Ambulance

[JPINFV]

...and this is why issues like emergency ambulance service needs to be regulated more than "Rotation Roulette." There are multiple sides that I can see. First off, why the hell not have a mutual aid contract? Next, I can completely understand not adding additional ambulance services onto a rotation. Add too many services and you spread them out so sparsely that no one wins. Hell, there should be 1 service providing primary response and the rest providing mutual aid. Similarly, I can completely understand the argument of "We'll respond, just put us on the rotation. No? Ok, we'll pick up our toys and go home." Similarly, if they are contracted to provide services to a specific area, what happens if they vacate that area for an area that didn't want them and then a call for that area comes in?

[emtannie]

.....and ironically, it was this refusal to compromise that led to a story such as this.

(edit).....

Regarding the government health care issue in my country. There is no way Americans will go for this for long. They are already mad about how much they pay in taxes. Could you imagine if we had the taxes most other countries that have full services such as health care and EMS pay? Tea party that tax hike.

I am an average person with an average living. I paid roughly 10% in income tax last year. Its no wonder I can't get decent health care and my roads are covered in potholes. Most other countries would kill for 10% income tax, but what do you sacrifice with that?

393, I found that interesting too, that it was the refusal that led to the story... when they were within their right to refuse (and as you said, not ethical, but not illegal).

With regard to your comment about taxes... yes, compared to other countries, you don't pay a lot in taxes, and yes, there are things that aren't being done because you don't pay taxes, like potholes being fixed, and getting decent health care.. and, you get what you pay for, and what you are willing to put up with.

Change happens when a catalyst occurs. Maybe this is the catalyst that will improve ambulance service in that area - too bad change usually means someone has to die before the powers that be pay attention.

[EMS49393]

Strange you should say that EMTAnnie. The county I grew up in was pretty much against traffic lights anywhere because they were costly. Select public entities were against this practice and found out that the county would only install a traffic light at an intersection after there had been a specific amount of recorded fatality accidents at said intersection.

Not illegal, but unethical. I've always wondered what exactly is the price of a life?