Dear Editor,
I am urging people to Vote No on the Annexation into the Osage Ambulance District within the Folk/Westphalia area Aug. 8. As many people know, I have volunteered as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and have been board member with the COMM-Unity Ambulance Service for 25 plus years. I have been involved in discussions with both Osage Ambulance District and the Maries-Osage Ambulance District for the last two years concerning getting ambulance service to our area, after the closure of COMM-Unity Ambulance Service. I will tell you the proposed boundary in the annexation ballot language is not ethically right! Vote No!
Voting No does not mean you will not have an ambulance service respond if you call 911. Voting No, only allows for the Osage Ambulance District to re-evaluate their annexation proposal and they will be forced to work with the first responders of Maries-Osage Ambulance district, the Westphalia Fire Dept., the Argyle Fire Dept, and Meta Fire & Rescue FPD to get the boundaries in agreement.
Osage Ambulance District went against the agreement that was discussed, and they got this ballot pushed through by getting 50 plus signatures from the Folk/Westphalia residents. I have nothing against the residents; the people did not have the time to investigate and review each part of the verbiage within the proposal boundaries. I also do not have any issues with Osage Ambulance District personnel and their emergency care. I will be happy with them servicing the area in the future.
My problem is the boundary line on the south side of the annex area and how it crosses into 3 different fire departments’ boundaries. This can lead to response issues down the road. I personally think that the southern boundary was written to bring turmoil within the two ambulance services and the first responders within those areas.
Sincerely,
D.J. Schroeder
Westphalia
