Washington County’s EMS service is an asset to the community

Dear Editor:

 I write this in response to Nancy Grindstaff’s recent article concerning the ambulance levy and Washington County’s EMS service. I want to acknowledge my great appreciation for all the people, both volunteer and paid, who provide this service in our community.

 One winter evening last February, as my husband and I were quietly watching TV, my husband’s heart stopped. Realizing that something was wrong, I dialed 911 and screamed into the phone “hurry”! I don’t know how they got here so fast but within about ten minutes, six EMS personnel walked through the door. They were all dressed in matching uniforms, some of them were carrying suitcases with equipment inside. They immediately moved into action and saved my husband’s life.

 Almost a year has passed since this event, and he is still with me. I have been learning all of the passwords, how to use the TV remote, how to change the filters on the water softener, etc., etc. For many reasons, both practical and emotional, we continue to be thankful for this extra time. We also acknowledge help from God that night. There was a group of teenagers meeting down the street. When they saw all the lights of the emergency vehicles, they stopped their Bible study and went into prayer, without even really knowing what was going on at our house.

 And so it is with the people who give their time to the EMS service, without knowing what emergency is going to happen next, or when it will happen. But they are always on standby, ready to go at a minute’s notice to help their neighbors who are experiencing an emergency. Not to mention the hours they spend getting the required training! I hope none of us takes this valuable service for granted. I know I don’t. In conclusion, I want to know if there is a way to get a donation to the ambulance services. If there is, could you please publish it for all of us to see?

Jennifer Neider

Weiser, Idaho