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“EMS — PROVIDES A VITAL COMMUNITY SERVICE”

Dear Editor,

 

Listening to the Chief of the Emergency Medical Services on the radio the other morning brought me to tears. Just what is the government doing to help this agency besides tossing it back and forth between DPS and LBJ? EMS provides a vital (life or death) service to our island community and it deserves better support from our government and better management.

 

When the EMS Chief said that things were looking a lot better today compared to a few years back, I can honestly say that is not true.

 

A few years back you actually had real ambulances, today those ambulances are no longer seen on the road. Some have been sitting on a lot in Faleniu for years and the people are being transported in vans – vans that were not built for the purpose of transporting emergency cases. Yes, the vans might provide a quick response, but patient transport?? I don’t think so! How legal is this?

 

Is the general public covered if one of these vans gets into an accident since they are not certified emergency transport vehicles? Where is OSHA? Why are they not looking into this? This is a safety issue not only for the general public but for the EMS employees who have to work in these vehicles.

 

I started to research our EMS for myself after a personal experience with my aunty who required emergency assistance last year. She lives up the mountain in Aoloau & the EMS response time was ridiculously long. Instead of screaming at the EMT’s who showed up, I simply asked “WHY.” And I was informed that they only have one ambulance that can climb a hill (!) and it was out on a call when I called for my aunty. The word “EMERGENCY” means nothing in this kind of situation!

 

I continued to look into the situation and have learned some really troubling things — the exhaust problems in the EMS vehicles are terrible; none of them have working AC; some of them have windows that have to be tied open for ventilation; some have doors that cannot be opened from the inside so in case of an emergency they would have to wait for someone to open the doors from the outside! I have found the EMT’s to be nervous & silent when I ask them about these working conditions. But something needs to be done to break this silence.

 

THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO SPEAK UP! THE ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO STEP UP, THE FONO NEEDS TO STEP UP AND THEN SOMEONE NEEDS TO STEP IN TO IMPROVE THIS VITAL COMMUNITY SERVICE. WHERE ARE OUR LEADERS???

 

The EMS Chief painted a rosy but false picture of the state of EMS. He is more concerned with what it looks like than with what it is in reality. And his talk was to make it look good —when it ain’t!

 

He also said that the hospital is looking at securing some used ambulances from Hawai’i…WHAT IS THIS? You continue to bring in used (RETIRED) ambulances that don’t last long because they have built up so much mileage and have been used to the point that they must be retired. They require continuous servicing just to keep running — which is why they were RETIRED! And they start to fall apart within a couple of months.

 

American Samoa needs safe, reliable ambulances. This is a cry for help to our leaders, our decision makers – FA’AMOLEMOLE ALOFA MAI I TAGATA O LE ATUNU’U!

 

Our people depend on the services that are provided by EMS. After what I’ve learned about our local EMT’S poor working conditions and lack of support, my appreciation for the job they do has grown tremendously. I thank these men and women who leave their families every day to risk their lives doing this job under such terrible conditions. Malo, fa’afetai I le tautua fa’amaoni.

 

This is a cry out to the FONO, a cry out to the Governor and a cry out to our Congresswoman. This situation needs to be taken care of. The sweet talking and covering up needs to stop and the real picture needs to be exposed. This is a true “EMERGENCY”

 

Marie Hauupu

 

(Editor’s Note: Unlike the Department of Public Safety, which has money to purchase new police vehicles through the traffic tickets it issues (the money from these tickets are put into an account for such purchases), the EMS does not.

 

They have tried charging for the service, but that met a stonewall, and they have tried grant funding, but those are usually just for training and services, or as noted, vans are allowable. A fully equipped new ambulance (minus medical supplies that they have a hard time purchasing too) is on the low side of $100,000 — so they are relying on the ‘kind graces of their friends’ to even use a vehicle.

 

Solution: Yes, more money needs to be directed to this vital service, so perhaps DPS should share their funds for new vehicles to include at least one ambulance, and forgo one of those gas guzzling SUVs that are ‘black’ in color and used in undercover work… that everyone recognizes… It’s a matter of priorities: let’s see, your aunty’s life or a drug dealer. ra)