Huron Expositor, 2007-02-28, Page 6Page 6 February 28, 2007 • The Huron Expositor
Opinion
Limits on paramedics don't make sense, says reader
From Page 5
My question to you is why don't
you take to your committee the need
to allow paramedics to use their
own judgment on the speed that
they travel while doing a Code 4
(emergency) call?
All paramedics operate the coun-
ty's ambulances under their own
licence and are accountable for their
own actions. So, why can't they use
their own brains when deciding
about the road
and weather con-
ditions and the
speed to travel?
Why restrict
them to 20
km/h?
You need to
put yourself in
the place of the
patient or family
member that
needs to be
transported out
quickly and
timely.
As a full-time
registered nurse
in the ICU and
emergency
departments of
Church
Services
You are invited to attend these area churches
t. omas
Anglican Church
A Congregation of The Pafish of The Holy Spiro
Jarvis St. Seeforth 527-1522
Rector: The Rev'd Sue Malpus. M. Div
Sunday. March 4- Second Sunday of Lent
WORSHIP AT 9:30 AM
KID -ZONE children's program at 9:30am
Taize-Style Worship on Thursdays at 7.30 pm
during Lent
Rector's Coffee Hours Tuesday 9-11am %nth Daily
Office devotions time at 9am
ACW meeting- Tues. March 6 at 730
Home of Betty McLean
Bethel Bible Church
An Associated Gospel Church
126 Main St. Seaforth 527-0982
Sunday School 9:45 am
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
B&G Club Wed. 7:00 - 8:15 pm
Youth Activities Wed. 7:00 pm
Pastor Mark Kennedy
EVERYONE WELCOME
NORTHSIDE UNITED
CHURCH
54 Goderich St. W.
Rev. John Gould
Sunday March 4th
Worship at 11:OOam
Sermon: "Faith As A Gift - Not
A Provision"
All Welcome.
Sunday School & Nursery bring Worship
St. James Roman
Catholic Church
Welcomes you
14 Victoria Street, Seaforth
527-0142
Weekend Masses: Sat 5:15 pm
Sun. 11:00 am
Fr. Chris Gillespie
Egmondville
United Church
Pastor Steve Hildebrand
Sunday, March 4
WORSHIP 11AM
SUNDAY SCHOOL 10AM
First Presbyterian
Church
Goderich St. W., Seaforth
Rev. Henry Huberts
Sunday March 4
11:15 am service
Sunday School & Nursery Provided.
Wingham and District Hospital, I
often act as a transport nurse for
patients from our facility who
require a tertiary care centre, such
as London or Kitchener.
On Jan. 1, I was on duty when a
patient arrived to our ER who had
fallen down a flight of stairs and
suffered a significant head injury.
The patient was immediately intu-
bated to protect their airway and for
their own safety.
The patient was critically injured
and required to be transferred out
to the trauma unit of London's
Victoria Hospital.
Air transport (helicopter) turned
down the call due to changing
weather conditions and that meant
that we were going to go by ground
transport.
I was the transport nurse and we
were soon on the road when I real-
ized we were not going very fast for
an emergency transfer.
I reminded the paramedic who
was driving that this was a Code 4
call and she quickly stated that she
was not allowed to go any faster
than 110 km/h as this was policy set
forth by Huron County.
It sure doesn't make sense to me
that we had lights and siren on and
yet the traffic flow behind us was
keeping up and someone even
passed us!
The paramedics have stated to me
that they often feel embarrassed by
the limitations to being allowed only
20 km/h over the posted limit.
General traffic tends to travel the
speed of 110 km/h - this is sure not
a benefit to the patients who need to
get to a hospital in a hurry.
Please look at the big picture, Mr.
McGrath and Mr. MacLellan before
you turn something down. It might
be you who will require the services
of the Brussels fire department or
Huron EMS someday.
Yours in emergency care,
John Lowe, RN
Brussels, Ont.
Maintain existing roads before
paving more, says reader
To the Editor,
I was quite dismayed by some the com-
ments made by Coun. Bill Siemon as reported
in the Expositor this week. (Siemon wants to
see move paving on Huron East's rural roads.
Feb. 21/07)
I would suggest that before they pave more
rural roads they learn how to maintain the
ones they have.
His quote, "I don't see any reasons for salt
on a township road, except in the intersec-
tions. A lot of people are complaining," has me
baffled.
Is he asserting that he has had more com-
plaints about the amount of salt put on the
road than he has about the road conditions? I
find that hard to believe.
I thought the trickle of salt I've seen on the
road on selected days was accidental fallout
from the truck, not put down purposely. From
my point of view, by not salting the paved
roads as needed and not plowing the roads as
needed is negligent on the part of the munici-
pality.
I don't think you can maintain a paved road
in the same way as you can a gravel road and
you have an obligation to keep all of the roads
safe. Not all of us in the country drive big
SUVs and we shouldn't be expected to miss
work and school because we can't plow
through the drifts with our cars.
When other roads in the area are bare and
dry, ours seem to be snow -packed and slip-
pery. Why?
If other municipalities can maintain their
roads to driveable standards, why can't we?
Heather Bennewies
Hydro Line Road
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Communities will be
remembered fondly
From Page 4
understanding and willing to give
me a hand, which I know will
become less of a luxury as my career
hopefully expands into larger mar-
kets.
As far as my career in journalism
goes, I still have quite a long way to
go - but Seaforth and Mitchell will
always be where I started, and for
hardly that reason alone, my experi-
ences will always be remembered
fondly.
So much for not being sappy.