Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Rep. Michel Consejo, D-Swanton.
Volunteers are everywhere in our state. They take many shapes, they come from many different directions and backgrounds, and they have an affect so many aspects of our lives. They are powerful and yet undervalued resources in our economy.
Yes, we all think about our firefighters, our mentors, our coaches, our meals-on-wheels providers, our emergency medical technicians and first responders. We think about them, and then we kind of forget they are always there, they always have been, and they always will be. And we are grateful, knowing that for some of them, volunteerism is more than just being “present.” It sometimes means hours and hours of training, a strain on their everyday lives, monetary sacrifices, constant education, and on and on.
Over the last year or so, I have heard a lot of grumbling coming from our EMT and first-responder volunteers about requirements, certifications and insurance. It came from many different directions, but the bottom line is they felt under attack, and they believe that the ultimate purpose of these requirements is to dismantle the network of volunteers around the state, to replace them with professionals who are paid (but how?), more highly trained and hopefully available when we need them.
Not so fast…wait a minute. We are going to lose our volunteer EMTs and first responders? No, why? What is wrong with what we have? Seems to me it is working pretty well. I understand trying to make it even better, but to make the rules so stringent that people with 10, 20, even 30 years of experience in saving lives and assisting us are quitting, saying this is too much? That emergency squads established for many years are selling their ambulances and closing up shop? This is more than troublesome, it is downright scary.
What about those of us who don’t live in Burlington? I live in the boonies. How long is it going to take before I get help when I need it? I don’t know about you folks, but I certainly owe a great deal of gratitude to my volunteer EMTs and first responders. More than once, they were there for me when I needed them, like the time I was involved in a fatal car accident due to a drunk driver, and when my wife broke her back in a bad fall. These rescuers were my neighbors, my friends, and even my lawyer. They were familiar faces, helping us, comforting us and bringing us to a safe place. And they are going to be gone?!
No, not if I can do something about it. I am ignorant, I confess, about all it takes to be an EMT or a first responder; ignorant about the ins and outs of the system and about what is really happening under a cloud of silence. Ignorant, I admit, but very willing to learn, willing to offer my help in return, willing to bring the issue to the forefront and have an open debate about it.
For this, I need your help. I need to hear your stories. We need to build a case together. So here it is. You can send me mail at: Representative Michel Consejo, EMT Issue, PO Box 422, Sheldon Springs, VT 05485. Or send me an email at: mconsejo@franklinvt.net. Or call me at 285-6070. Just sending your support is great, but I also need to have evidence in writing.
I hope all of you who felt you had no voice in this matter realize that I can be that voice. I will ask the questions you want to ask. I will find out for you, what is the logic behind all this, if there is any. Please encourage anyone you know who is an emergency volunteer to contact me, no matter where they are located in our state. We cannot let this happen without at least finding out why it is happening. I will not turn my head the other way. This time, if you need it, let me be the one who comes to your rescue.
