In last week\u2019s Readers write, a Pine Cove resident addressed what she considered fabrications regarding IFPD\u2019s provision of ambulance service to Pine Cove. The author of last week\u2019s letter should take her own advice to ensure that her comments are supported by fact. \t <\/p>\n
The dilemma is the most recent amendment from Riverside County gives IFPD a 1 percent increase to provide service to Zone II (Pine Cove), which equates to $95,854.05 annually for 12-minute minimum response times, and then goes on to eliminate any dollars for Zone III, that\u2019s right ($ 0.00) zero. <\/p>\n
In addition to the removal of dollars for service to this area the county now wants IFPD to respond to the Zone III area with 30-minute minimum response times instead of the best effort time which is currently in the contract. These are the facts. Call Riverside County EMS Department and ask them yourself. <\/p>\n
IFPD cannot give away free service to Zone III when they are charging for services in Zone II. <\/p>\n
CAL FIRE does not provide an emergency medical technician for the ambulance service received in either Zone II or Zone III. <\/p>\n
Next, the author of the article goes on to speak about the \u201cunilateral dropping of the ambulance service contract.\u201d Doesn\u2019t unilateral mean one sided? This was anything but one sided. <\/p>\n
If the county and the citizens of Pine Cove want 12-minute service into their community why would they allow that to be jeopardized by the county requiring IFPD to provide free service to Zone III? <\/p>\n
The Fabrications continue when the author states, \u201cEach month CAL FIRE has to bail them (IFPD) out with paramedic service as well as fire assistance.\u201d Show me the proof of that statement.<\/p>\n
As for the comment that CAL FIRE has to bail them out for fire assistance, IFPD and CAL FIRE have a automatic aid agreement which means that they agree to help each other out on fires; by the way, IFPD goes into the Pine Cove area and assists on many fires, including the last wildland fire at Lawler Lodge where the IFPD brush engine was the second engine on scene. <\/p>\n
The county EMS department states that the IFPD is compliant with its call times. <\/p>\n
As for the statement that \u201cboth sides need to honor contracts,\u201d this is the only piece of good information the author provides in her letter. I am sure that the county EMS department and Pine Cove residents would agree that if you want stand-by ambulance service then it needs to be paid for and cannot be done for free. <\/p>\n
The citizens of Idyllwild aren\u2019t getting free ambulance service, and we are gladly paying for the excellent service that we are provided by IFPD. <\/p>\n
To IFPD: Keep up the good work!<\/p>\n
Dick Rennick In last week\u2019s Readers write, a Pine Cove resident addressed what she considered fabrications regarding IFPD\u2019s provision of ambulance service to Pine Cove. The author of last week\u2019s letter should take her own advice to ensure that her comments are supported by fact. \t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1112,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"amp_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38,36],"tags":[314,35],"yoast_head":"\n
\nIdyllwild<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"