Concerned about Elk County's image? Here's one outsider's view...

[Wilma]

And you think that by flying our flag upside down that they are going to sit up and take notice?

[Janet Harrington]

Well, with the President that we have, our country is in distress. I think Varmit shoes the flag upside down because of where he works. LOL Just kidding.

[srkruzich]

And you think that by flying our flag upside down that they are going to sit up and take notice?

Maybe,  do you think sitting on ones butt and doing nothing at all is going to fix things?  At least its something.

[Wilma]

The only people that can change things are in Washington D.C. and if they don't know by now that their constitutents want a change, someone way out here, flying the American flag upside down isn't going to get their attention.  I still say that showing the flag in that position when there is no one needing immediate assistance is disrespectful to our flag.  Doesn't it place them somewhat in the same place as the church in Topeka that allows it's congregation to appear wearing the flag as a trailing skirt and lets their child wipe his feet on it?

[srkruzich]

The only people that can change things are in Washington D.C. and if they don't know by now that their constitutents want a change, someone way out here, flying the American flag upside down isn't going to get their attention.

Two words... Tea Party.   Made a definate impact.  OH and it didn't happen in washington either.

[kshillbillys]

Quote from Janet:
I just asked a person on the EMS service and I was told that the sheriff's office does not go to the EMS calls.

Janet, when did this start ? Wasn't very long ago we had a medical emergency here in Longton and Deputy Dan was on location in minutes of getting the call and stayed the half hour or so until an ambulance got  here .

Well, I wish I would've gotten the same consideration last Monday night when I had to call 911 because I thought my mom was having a stroke! It took 4 rings to get through to the sheriff's office and then 40 minutes later the ambulance showed up and went to the wrong place! I know for a fact that one of the sheriff's officers here in Longton was at home and we have 2 sheriff's officers, the reservists AND a city cop; but NOT ONE PERSON showed up to help Robert and I with my mother who was having seizures and was really freaking me out! Then to top it all off, when the ambulance did finally show up and get to the right place, one of the EMT's didn't think she was bad enough to go to Bartlesville (where all her doctors are and she has stage IV cancer) but would take her to Independence "if" she wanted to go. I said she was going to a hospital and if they wouldn't take her, we would drive her but I didn't really want her having more seizures on the way down there and us not know what to do! Long story short, they took her to Indy (and after they loaded her in the ambulance she started having another seizure!) and she is STILL there because of the seizures and a blockage from the CANCER! EMT's are NOT doctors so they really shouldn't try to decide that someone's underlying condition isn't responsible for what is happening to them at the moment. I will be making formal complaints over this! It has taken me almost a week to get over my initial anger and be able to post this and trust me, I'm still far from being "ok" with any of it!----Jennifer L. Walker

[Patriot]

Sad state of affairs, Jenifer!  First responders?  Hmmmm.  It all starts with attitude.

We'll say a prayer for your mom.

[Diane Amberg]

Jennifer, I'm so sorry you had a problem with your ambulance service. All EMT's ride and treat on a doctor's license, so you should have no trouble making a complaint. Our rule is that that patient should go to the nearest "appropriate" hospital for the problem. They should have been able to contact a control doc at the hospital for instructions in her case. I take it there were no paramedics, just EMTs?  Is your mom a DNR? I'm assuming she is not. Living so far away from everything does present a problem when things go badly and there is so little we can do for cases like that while in route.There is no easy answer. I do hope she is doing better.

[Wilma]

I don't know who responded to this call, but I do know that there is at least one paramedic with the group.  Forty minutes is quite a long time to wait for help, but you have to consider what is involved in responding to a call in the Longton area.  First, Longton is at least 15 miles from Howard where the ambulances are stationed.  Next, it probably takes five minutes from the time the call is received at the Sheriff's office for the dispatcher to contact the proper responders.  In this case it would be the EMS.  Elk County does not have 24 hour around the clock people stationed at the ambulance garage.  The call would be made to whoever is on duty at the time and they might have to change into the proper clothes.  Another ten minutes.  Then the trip to get to the ambulance and get it on the road.  Another five minutes.  Twenty minutes already from the time the call came into the sheriff's office.  Another 20 minutes to make the run to Longton.  Seems reasonable but the people who are waiting are going through all kinds of hell because a loved one's life is at stake.

The solution to this would be to have a first responder in Longton, who could be there in a matter of minutes and at the least, relieve some of the anxiety.  I think it is a State thing that the patient be taken to the nearest facility capable of handling the situation.  In this case, it would be Independence.  Then from there the patient would be transferred to maybe the hospital of their choice.

In the case of the heart attack I had while here in Howard nine years ago, it didn't take long for the ambulance to get here.  There was a paramedic and an EMT on board and a deputy showed up at the same time.  The sheriff was already here as she was the one that called the ambulance when she saw that her mommy was having a heart attack.  They took me to Eureka and after several hours took me on to the hospital that I chose in Wichita.  At that time, I could find no complaint about the service.  They even waited in Eureka until the decision was made and arrangements were made in Wichita, then they took me on over there.

[srkruzich]

IF I have ambulance come for me i tell them the hospital they will take me to. IF they refuse i'll get out of there and drive myself.