Firefighter Medics
The Ventura City Council is deliberating on whether to create a new Ventura city firefighter paramedic program to respond to the community’s 911 calls. Community dissatisfaction has been expressed to the council and the County Board of Supervisors about the paramedic and ambulance service contract currently in place.
My contacts have convinced me that the community will be better served on 911 calls by a local team of firefighter paramedics. We have seen three different ambulance providers in the last six years. This instability is not healthy for the consumer. On the other hand, firefighters are proven. Their 50-year commitment to the community should speak for itself.
We should not ignore the opportunity to take back the contract we gave away years ago. We have control of the police and fire departments, but we have no control of the private ambulances going up and down our streets. Let’s take control now.
JOHN McWHERTER
Ventura
John McWherter is a former Ventura mayor.
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