ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, May 28, 1993                   TAG: 9306010194
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


LIFE ON THE LINE IN VINTON

I AM WRITING as a concerned citizen of Vinton, and also as a member of the emergency medical system of this valley. Recently, Vinton Town Council declined the request of Vinton First Aid Crew for paid advanced-life-support personnel. I find this appalling and bordering on criminal.

The crew has made an effort to improve a very bad situation in this community. Let me explain what advanced life support means. Almost everyone has seen the television series "911." You have seen paramedics and cardiac technicians starting intravenous fluids, giving medications or using monitors to check a person's heart rate. It's more complicated than that. The training and hours needed to become a paramedic or cardiac technician give them the special edge they need to respond in the correct manner when you call 911.

Though the ambulances in Vinton advertise advanced life support, they can no longer deliver this on a 24-hour basis. Vinton's crew has the best equipment, but not the personnel to use it on a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week basis. There is a paid paramedic and cardiac technician in the fire station Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but they are also firefighters who cannot respond to medical emergencies as well as fire calls. Several times a week, Roanoke Emergency Medical Services is asked to respond to emergency calls in Vinton. If they cannot because of their own call load, then Carilion Transportation Services is asked to respond.

As a member of the Roanoke Emergency Medical Services, and because my husband is employed by Carilion Transportation Services, I know where to get advanced-life-support help. But what about those who expect and deserve to receive what is advertised on the side of the ambulances? Anything less is just not enough.

I had a conversation recently with Mayor Charles Hill, voicing my concern over this situation. His response was that council members were aware of the problem, but it looked like they would not be able to do anything about it this year.

I would remind them of the Shenandoah Home's fire several years ago when one person died. What will Vinton Town Council's response be when someone else dies because there was no one to respond when they called 911? Will they say, "Sorry, not this year"? JANE E. CAMP VINTON



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