|
Prepared
Remarks by Sen. Don White (R-41)
Chairman,
Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee
Commemorating
EMS Day at State Capitol
It is truly an
honor to be here for this ceremony to commemorate EMS Day in the Capitol.
I believe it
is important that we thank the men and women who staff ambulances and handle the
ever-increasing administrative burden that is part and parcel of today's health
care system. We're here today for you because you are here every day for us.
Nobody really
likes to think about emergency medical service, so it is easy to take our
ambulance crews for granted.
Sure, we take
precautions in the home and when we are on the road. But you just never know
what can lie around the next bend in the highway or when you may miss that step
on the staircase. That's when we are fortunate to have trained and dedicated
EMS crews ready to assist us.
Nobody plans
an accident. But, with the dedicated service of our emergency medical
responders, we can rest assured that we will receive the care we need if we are
in one.
We can thank
you. Yet it is difficult for most people, outside of your friends and families,
to imagine the kinds of stress and pressure that you face on the job.
It takes a
special type of strength to walk calmly through an accident scene, grasp the
hand of the injured and provide care and reassurance. It takes a large dose of
compassion to calm the parents of an injured or sick child.
However, it's
easy to forget all of that when we only think about our ambulance crews when we
see the red flashing lights in our rear-view mirrors and hear the wailing of the
sirens.
Finally, I
would like to take this opportunity to urge all Pennsylvanians to do their part
to support their EMS squads. The need is real. Ambulance squads are facing the
increased costs of liability insurance and workers' comp coverage. At the same
time, decreasing Medicare fees and cuts in HMO insurance payments are slicing
into their revenues.
When you add
in the difficulties that many ambulance squads face in finding and keeping
qualified personnel and ensuring they receive the training they require, the
need for community support is critical.
Emergency
medical service is like an insurance policy. You certainly never want to have
to use it, but you're definitely thankful that it is there when you need it.
With that said, I want to again thank all of the men and women who give their
time and efforts to protect the lives and safety of their neighbors by working
in EMS squads across the Commonwealth.
Thank you.
 
Sen. Don White (R-41), Chairman of the
Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee, speaks in
the Capitol rotunda on EMS Day, April 24.
|
