EMS levy approval will ensure services are maintained
Published on Wed, Jul 28, 2010 by Kirk GalatasRead More Guest View
Mukilteo's current EMS levy expires at the end of this year. On Aug. 17, voters will get their chance to voice their opinion on whether or not a new EMS levy should be approved to replace the current one.
We support this ballot measure and hope that you will, too.
During the past six years of our current EMS Levy, our City has seen service levels improve to approach that of our surrounding jurisdictions.
We have implemented around-the-clock staffing of the downtown station and have two paramedics on duty every shift to provide Advanced Life Support in a nationally recognized time frame.
This service level increase was long overdue and now allows us to operate an exchange of services with our neighbors, providing help when they need it and receiving help when we need it.
This exchange has greatly benefited the citizens of our community by ensuring that we have had an adequate response when it was needed the most.
Under the proposed EMS levy, the significant changes might be less noticeable.
The improvements will be found in quality oversight of our system through a contractual agreement that we have entered into with the City of Lynnwood.
Currently, the Mukilteo Fire Department does not have a license to provide Advance Life Support. Our contract with Lynnwood allows us to use their license and to jointly pay for a Medical Services Officer to oversee this usage, which began this year and has worked well.
We also have agreed to jointly pay for battalion chiefs beginning next year.
These frontline officers will be critical to the safe and seamless operations that occur when our firefighters respond to an ever-growing array of incidents requiring multiple jurisdictions.
The sharing of these positions keeps costs down for both agencies while providing services at a regionally acceptable standard.
We need to reauthorize an EMS levy to maintain what we currently have and pay for these minor contractual service improvements.
We were very deliberate in our endorsement of this levy and made every attempt to ensure that the money being requested was justified.
We trust the City Council to only appropriate the funds that are necessary.
We will also definitely keep encouraging the City to find ways to save money through consolidating services, but we can only continue when you vote Yes on EMS.
Kirk Galatas is the president of IAFF Local 3482, Mukilteo Firefighters.
We support this ballot measure and hope that you will, too.
During the past six years of our current EMS Levy, our City has seen service levels improve to approach that of our surrounding jurisdictions.
We have implemented around-the-clock staffing of the downtown station and have two paramedics on duty every shift to provide Advanced Life Support in a nationally recognized time frame.
This service level increase was long overdue and now allows us to operate an exchange of services with our neighbors, providing help when they need it and receiving help when we need it.
This exchange has greatly benefited the citizens of our community by ensuring that we have had an adequate response when it was needed the most.
Under the proposed EMS levy, the significant changes might be less noticeable.
The improvements will be found in quality oversight of our system through a contractual agreement that we have entered into with the City of Lynnwood.
Currently, the Mukilteo Fire Department does not have a license to provide Advance Life Support. Our contract with Lynnwood allows us to use their license and to jointly pay for a Medical Services Officer to oversee this usage, which began this year and has worked well.
We also have agreed to jointly pay for battalion chiefs beginning next year.
These frontline officers will be critical to the safe and seamless operations that occur when our firefighters respond to an ever-growing array of incidents requiring multiple jurisdictions.
The sharing of these positions keeps costs down for both agencies while providing services at a regionally acceptable standard.
We need to reauthorize an EMS levy to maintain what we currently have and pay for these minor contractual service improvements.
We were very deliberate in our endorsement of this levy and made every attempt to ensure that the money being requested was justified.
We trust the City Council to only appropriate the funds that are necessary.
We will also definitely keep encouraging the City to find ways to save money through consolidating services, but we can only continue when you vote Yes on EMS.
Kirk Galatas is the president of IAFF Local 3482, Mukilteo Firefighters.