OpinionJuly 12, 2008

Why engine goes too

A recent letter entitled, "Why the fire engine?" [July 2] provides an opportunity to respond. A fire engine is dispatched with an ambulance in Lewiston whenever there is a life-threatening call for EMS services requested. The fire department responds with an increased level of personnel to provide the best patient care possible.

For example, a cardiac emergency might require several tasks to be accomplished at nearly the same time: open an airway, prepare advanced airway, place on auto-ventilator, chest compressions, monitor/evaluate/defibrillate, establish an IV, administer cardiac medications, obtain patient information and package patient for transport. The successful accomplishment of these tasks takes several skilled hands to provide the best patient outcome possible.

The reason we take a fire engine instead of another vehicle is to retain the same level of readiness to respond to the next emergency, whether it's another EMS incident or a fire. In some instances, an ambulance has to respond from another part of town because the ambulance assigned in that area is on another call. Since irreversible brain damage occurs in four to six minutes, a fire engine responding in that area can be the difference in a patient's positive outcome.

In the last fiscal year, there were 4,140 EMS calls for assistance in Lewiston and we provided 1,009 engine assists for that many life threatening calls for help. We hope you never have to call - but if you do, you can count on us to do everything in our power to provide you with the best possible result.

Gordy GreggFire ChiefLewiston Fire DepartmentLewiston

Better spending choices

Developers need a road/ bridge over the South Fork of the Palouse River, so they can develop currently unannexed land. The cost of this project has been estimated to be as high as $800,000, so we can be sure it will cost at least $1 million by the time it is completed. The developers don't believe they should pay for this road; they think taxpayer dollars should fund access to their development.

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If the city has an extra $1 million lying around, Blaine should be continued south to connect with Palouse River Drive. That would give much-needed relief to homeowners along Indian Hills Drive who have seen their residential streets turn into thoroughfares. Instead of fixing a problem, developers would have us spend our tax dollars to route traffic onto Conestoga and turn another residential street into a minor arterial.

The ball fields park the proposed road/bridge would go through would be a great place to spend a spare $1 million. Spend the money on the park, not on a road through it.

The city is in the midst of planning its land use for the next 10 years. What if we allow this development only to find out six months later that we wasted an ideal place for organic truck farms, light industry or commercial retail?

How will this development affect our commitment to limit our water pumping? Did the Hawkins Five leave enough in the bucket for development on this side of the line?

What is the cost to police, service and maintain development on this edge of town?

I believe there are other, more productive, ways to spend our tax dollars.

Ask the Hawkins Five not to spend our money on a road we do not need, to a development we may not want.

Aaron C. AmentMoscow

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