‘Brownouts’ Could Mean Loss of Life

One day recently I went to wake my daughter for school only to discover that she was unconscious and having convulsions. When I couldn’t rouse her, I immediately called 911.

Within a few minutes I could hear the sirens approaching and, soon after, the paramedics and firemen arrived. They quickly administered to her and transported her to Santa Monica Hospital. After emergency treatment, she was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, where she remained in a coma until the next day. While the cause of the convulsions and subsequent coma has yet to be determined, thanks to the immediate response of the paramedics, my daughter is now alive and well.

Unfortunately, the outcome could have been tragically different. After the ambulance left, two of the firemen told me that I was lucky the paramedics were at the firehouse because of the brownouts that are currently in effect. Had the paramedics been forced to come from another station, my daughter probably would not have survived, since she stopped breathing soon after she reached the hospital.

Most people are not aware of how the brownout situation affects the paramedics’ ability to respond to emergencies quickly. The brownouts, which are a result of the defeat of a recent ballot measure to fund 911, cut back the number of hours paramedics are assigned to a particular station. No longer are they available at all stations 24 hours a day. Perhaps if voters realize what this means to their chances of survival in an emergency, they might be more willing to support a future ballot measure.

Above all, I want to thank the paramedics and and firemen of Station 69 and the emergency room and ICU personnel at Santa Monica Hospital for all they did for my daughter.

JANICE L. NORDLINGER

Pacific Palisades