The following are the remarks made by
Senator Don White, Chairman of Senate Veterans Affairs and
Emergency Preparedness Committee, at an EMS Day in the
ceremony today (April 24, 2006) in the Capitol Rotunda:
"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 everyday 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."
