County is passing ball on Trauma Star Issue

The Key West Citizen, July 25, 2008

Elected officials are, we may assume, in office because they want to be public servants, representing all of us. No one has forced them to put their names on the ballot or to accept a call to service.

County and city commissions have many issues presented to them for discussion, voting and implementation. One of their responsibilities,
of course, is to investigate, research and, thus, become at least minor
experts on any proposals that are brought to their attention by their fellow
elected officials or by the citizens they have chosen to represent.

So it is on the Monroe County Commission. We may not always agree with commissioners’ decisions, but it is their responsibility, not ours, to make
those decisions.

Right now, with the county’s budget out of whack, the commissioners are considering and making decisions that involve reducing the county’s financial
responsibilities. They are deciding which jobs to cut and which programs to size down or eliminate. It’s a big job and we appreciate their efforts.

Unfortunately, the commission has failed us, the citizens, on determining
what to do with Trauma Star — keep funding it or drop it like a hot potato,
leaving the responsibility of emergency air service to a company in the private
sector.

A week ago Monday, the commission, at least for now, agreed to do nothing
of its own. Bombarded from all corners — as they often are on ticklish issues — the commissioners talked about passing the potato to the citizens, let us decide, by putting the issue on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

Keeping the Sheriff’s Office helicopter even for six more months will cost us $900,000. The Sheriff’s Office and Monroe County -- that’s us, the citizens
— are spending $2.4 million a year to provide maintenance as well as five pilots, two mechanics, three paramedics and four nurses for Trauma Star.
That seems like a department unto itself.

LifeNet, the private air ambulance that already services the county’s three
hospitals, would presumably add what Trauma Star has been providing to its
own responsibilities. The duties of both helicopters seem to be mainly
transporting patients from accidents to local hospitals or to Miami hospitals or
from the county hospitals to Miami facilities.

It’s often a life or death situation. We need the helicopter assistance. The
question is whether or not we need both the sheriff’s and LifeNet’s services.
Because the commission is prone to not accepting its responsibilities, we offer
some questions and suggestions on the issue:

Is LifeNet able to add the Trauma Star trips to its itinerary?
Is LifeNet capable of providing swift service at the scene of need, rather than bringing a helicopter in from the mainland when time is of the essence?
How much will LifeNet bill the county in a typical year?
Are other companies interested in this contract?

Before anything happens, the board should ask for bids from all those interested. If we are to vote, at least tell us what we’re voting on, cost and services.

If there is an addition to citizens’ annual taxes of, say $50 a household, then
those people should not be charged at all by whatever company airlifts them.

— The Citizen

**********************************************