Editor:

I am very pleased with the county’s Advanced Life Support Services model recently implemented in Pine Cove. AMR and Cal Fire paramedics have consistently engaged my family with professionalism, objectivity and a caring attitude. They are trained by the best. I am especially pleased with in-home health monitoring now offered by AMR. It is this context that builds confidence and trust, much like deposits into a bank account.

My perception clearly questions the stability, professionalism and trust of the Idyllwild Fire Protection District’s chief and administrative captain. Persistent competency and trust issues continue to plague IFPD.

Major mistakes pile up. The Board of Commissioners and administration somehow blame poor supervision of employees on community interference. One has to wonder whether its paramedic service is safe.

In reviewing the decision of IFPD vs. James Reyes, as well as filings and conclusions from grand jury reports, it’s painfully obvious the pervasive lack of honesty, professionalism, transparency and unwillingness to correct or improve with no end in sight. Professional competence and public safety is at risk.

It’s not about a free smoke detector to some IFPD voters, Santa on a fire truck, or who can tell the best 5-minute joke and story at Rotary or the Legion. It’s about paramedics living up to national and state standards, doing the job we pay them for. The grotesque unprofessionalism and public safety concerns uncovered in recent inquiries compares to previous well-documented and buried employee misconduct.

I believe with the latest findings twisted in a web of IFPD misdeeds, for the sake of the mountain communities, it’s time to cut bait. Major changes need to happen.

A vote to raise taxes is no answer. Dissolve IFPD. Paramedic/firefighter service will stabilize while taxes go down, because you already pay a double tax. Let alone any new twisted tax increase to pay existing and new mid-six-figure litigation bills, not to mention the multi-million dollar judgment now knocking at the door.

One tax goes away if IFPD goes away.

Jeff Smith

Pine Cove

 

1 COMMENT

  1. Re: IFPD:Time for a change from Jeff Smith. It is rather amusing to read where you put so much praise in a private provider ambulance service such as AMR. Apparently you failed to do your homework or you would have found out that AMR has similar problems with personnel as IFPD does with this Captain Reyes. Please keep in mind that the IFPD is in a petri dish setting with all eyes on it from the community via this paper and word of mouth. The terms and description of the IFPD are frankly offensive and generally not accurate statements to make about this group of solid professionals who risk their lives to protect our lives and property. So there is a personnel conflict with the upper brass between the chief and a captain? It happens in the big world just about every day. Try a little honey instead of spitting out vinegar
    to our IFPD at a time when they could use some community support instead of be berated for nothing they have done affected you.