Andrew Sanborn

To the editor,

Sanbornton’s Winnisquam Village Association is advocating that the town purchase an ambulance and erect a building on town owned land near the lakefront urgently, without delay, and under threat — “failure to act places the town at risk of litigation”, quoting Peter Dascoulias. The improvement of critical life safety services is laudable, but throwing a quarter million dollars or so at a problem without consideration of the effectiveness in achieving the goal is not.

Ambulances do not save people. Trained First Responders do. There is an ambulance currently housed at the unmanned Belmont Station Two that is called into service for all life threatening “critical” calls. The proximity of an ambulance is not the issue. The availability 24/7 of an EMT or Paramedic with fundamental stabilization equipment is the life or death element in the equation. Patient stabilization is not solely dependent upon the presence of an ambulance on the scene.

Sanbornton currently has three trained volunteer EMTs in the bay area. All of them carry life support first aid equipment with them. The Sanbornton police cruiser carries a defibrillator. The problem is that the local EMT personnel may be at work, or out of the response area for a call. The solution is to have more medical First Responders.

If the WVA would have the town throw massive amounts of money at a problem, I would suggest that solving the personnel issue ought to be the first priority. It will certainly yield the greater protection for life support. We could buy six ambulances and park them all over town, and it will not improve protection for our citizens in life threatening situations without a corresponding increase in manpower.

I would challenge the WVA that having identified what they believe to be a critical life and death issue, that they please take it out of the realm of politics, and put effort and enthusiasm toward support for their local volunteer medical personnel. Perhaps the organization might offer a scholarship or other incentives for recruiting area residents to become first responders. There are positive and constructive avenues available that do not involve huge expenditures of taxpayer’s money for solving this problem. I’m certain that the combined talents that compose the WVA do not need my advice in doing so.

Andrew Sanborn

Sanbornton