Editor: Recently we have been seeing stories on the news and in our papers about the rising cost and lengthened wait times for emergency medical services in our local communities in Pinellas County.
Perhaps the county should consider letting smaller private companies compete for the work, instead of using a large, county backed ambulance service. We have heard the concerns about the possibility of service being affected in the negative, but it is our assertion that competition would drive companies to provide superior service.
Anyone who goes into the paramedic or nursing field has to have compassion and empathy for their fellow citizens. Companies that choose to follow that business model would by their very definition strive to give good, timely service.
For many years, in the northeast I served on a volunteer fire/ambulance operation. Not once did we lack a full crew to respond to any emergency, be it fire, accident or illness.
Pinellas County officials should realize that in this current economic climate, local homeowners can’t continue to have their taxes raised to fund everything. Let the marketplace work and all will be advantaged.
