If City Council doesn't get its budget priorities straight, this may be the closest thing to fire fighting equipment left in Peoria.A rather dull weekend. Just the way I like 'em. Slept in both days. Glorious. Never got around to doing laundry, cleaning my house, or disassembling the Christmas tree. Even better.
My Significant Other (S.O.) and I did get out last night. We had dinner at Bud's, coffee at Starbucks, and then saw Fun with Dick and Jane at the Rave. Dinner at Bud's was just okay. We had an appetizer of calamari, shared a porterhouse steak, and ordered a side of sauteed mushrooms. Our tab, with tax and tip came to $90.00. We had two beers as well, and our steak came with a house salad and some very good bread. Nonetheless, the decor, ambiance and quality of food doesn't come close to F. Scott's or some of the other numerous steakhouses in town. Some of them significantly less expensive. There was a decent crowd, but no where near what V.O.P.s used to draw in.
A little over a year ago Peoria didn't have a single Starbucks - unless you count the snack bar at Barnes and Noble. Now we have two, both with drive thrus, and another is on the way. S.O. and I had some time to burn before our movie so we slurped down a decaf latte at the Starbucks by the Shoppes at Grand Prairie. I was surprised to learn that Starbucks has wi-fi access, but expects people to pay extra for it. Gosh, you would think my purchase of a $4.00 cup of coffee would kind of cover it... Panera Bread has free wi-fi access and decent overpriced coffee, so if I ever decide to leave the house with my laptop again, I'll just go there. They have a fireplace and everything.
Fun with Dick and Jane started strong. The first two thirds of the movie was funny. The last third was spent watching Jim Carey spaz out for no good reason. The ending was particularly unsatisfying. I think the producers had a strong idea- consumer driven yuppies lose life savings and jobs at a Enron type corporation. It had beginnings of a good plot/script/story, but around the middle everyone just got lazy. It is worth seeing, but wait until it comes out on cable or DVD. Definitely NOT worth owning.
This morning's Word on the Street column in the the Journal Star was particularly gratifying. Jeff Lickiss, AMT employee/paramedic discovered the hard way that the Peoria Fire Department doesn't have the equipment necessary to provide adequate emergency services. Lickiss' daughter was involving in a serious car crash, and had to wait for over 15 minutes to be extracted as different trucks with various needed equipment had to be dispatched from all over town. The accident occurred within spitting distance of Station 11. However, Station 11 lost the truck that carries the "Jaws of Life." On top of it all, Lickiss admits that AMT did a lousy job of dispatching enough ambulances and personnel to treat victims on the scene. His daughter had to wait in dire pain for over fifteen minutes. Sucks to live in a town where the hospitals own the ambulance service, doesn't it Jeff? I attended a city council meeting, a year or so ago, where former OSF E.R. physician and creator of the Haitian Hearts program, Dr. John Carroll reported that AMTs critical care statistics are not reported (despite a FOI request) unlike most ambulance service providers in other areas. Gee, the hospitals wouldn't short staff calls to save money would they? No! That would be irresponsible, dirty and cruel.
Unfortunately, despite his promise to give Council an earful tomorrow night, Lickiss is not high enough up the political ladder to make a difference. We won't get Station 11 fully operational again until some really big wig loses someone near and dear to them for no reason other than the Fire Department's water truck and ladder truck are located in opposite areas of town.
In the meantime, drive very carefully, install a smoke detector on every floor, no, in every room, and strap a fire extinguisher to your belt in order to up your odds of survival.
Anyone reading this in the outer regions, being served by volunteer fire departments, keep in mind Peoria is your back up should anything really awful happen (tornado, factory fire, semi jack knifes on the interstate, etc.) Since a Peorian car crash victim a few blocks away from a fire station had to suffer in god awful pain until everyone could get their ducks in a row, lets just say you all are screwed.... Squared.
11 comments:
Agree with you. The political aspects of the AMT situation are staggering. Lickiss has every right to be pissed about the response to his daugther's emergency.
BTW, did you mean John Carroll instead of Dr. Carlson?
Yes. Yes I did. Thanks for pointing that out. I type faster than my brain can keep up.
Polly,
Of course, I agree completely, but would point out another thing currently necessary. MAKE SURE YOUR NEIGHBOR CAN & WILL RUSH INTO YOUR BURNING HOUSE.
THe last meeting of the City Council in 2005 recognised a man who rushed into his elderly (80 yo woman)neighbors house in the 300 block of Armstrong the first part of December. The arial ladder truck which is now "stationed" in the 11 house had previously been at the 3 house on Armstrong. The elderly woman's house is a huge 3 story Victorian with surrounding houses very close and now that the ariel/ladder has been removed from 3, the only piece of equiptment available was the engine from 3 so the woman is very lucky, she lived next door to a neighbor that would rush in and save her.
Unless you live around station 11, you might want to purchase a couple tall ladders also to add to your list of equiptment until the City Council gets its priorities straight.
Sad to think that a taxpayer/citizen isn't high enough on the ladder to make a difference!
With that being said, if something bad did happen, which politican would climb high enough on the ladder to take responsibility after the fire chief, a doctor,a paramedic and several citizens have expressed outrage over this. I can hardly wait for the next election.
Bucket Head,
"I can hardly wait for the next election."
No pun intended, but we've been burned before. Manning, Van Auken, and Ardis were elected to their posts in part because they were theorectically "outraged" by the Station 11 cuts. Van Auken used the Station 11 issue in campaign lit. Manning gave speeches saying that the cut was made "by people who didn't know the difference between a water truck and a ladder truck." The Mayor, we thought, would be a big emergency service ally simply because his brother is a fire fighter and the Fire Fighter's Union campaigned hard him - and for all of the new faces on the Council. Surprise, the dangerous cuts to emergency services remain. So does the Municipal Band, Civic Center Expansion, flower baskets on Main, longevity pay for administrative employees, etc., etc.
On this issue, the more things change the more they stay the same. Only a tragedy will prompt our elected officials to get their priorities straight and make the hard cuts necessary.
It worked for New Orleans. Too bad our leaders feel they just have to learn this painful lesson first hand. Pathetic.
Ninety buckaroos? What six people had dinner with you and your pal, Polly? Fer cryin' out loud... there ain't a steak ANYWHERE in Peoria that's worth more than $17.95... What pin-head decided that Vonachen's had to go so that we could get a grand overpriced steak hoo-hah like Bud's, huh? Maybe the Peoria Fire Dept. can start a steakhouse to fund the equipment they need... they could grill 'em for cheap.
Polly,
I continue to be committed to fully staffing and equiping Firehouse 11, but we didn't have the 6 votes necessary for funding it (at approximately $750k per year). However, I have asked, and the Mayor has agreed, to establish a group to review all of our taxes so that people are paying for what they want and professional public safety employees tell us we, in fact, need. And, no, I don't mean just adding another tax! Remember, the budget can be amended.
As for the other items you mentioned-- the money for the Civic Center expansion was voted on by the former Council and cannot be changed; the flower baskets will now be paid for privately; a committee (of which I'm a member) is meeting weekly to find a way to eliminate longevity pay for management and administrative employees in a way that is fair but that still allows the city to retain and attract high-quality service providers; and, finally, the Municipal Band is delightful, especially when they play throughout the community--but, no, it is not essential, and no doubt could attract more private funding.
Barbara,
I stand corrected regarding the flower baskets on Main. My point is, the flower baskets garnered more discussion than Fire Station 11.
I would have liked to seen district Councilmembers to put heat/spotlight on At-Large members regarding Station 11, so we know who to hold responsible next election.
Moreover, any and all fluff (band) should be cut until adequate emergency service is restored.
It seems to me you should have your seven votes:
Turner (has said publically his vote to cut Station 11 was a mistake)
Grayeb (voted against the current budget in part because of Station 11)
Sanberg (almost had a heart attack when it was cut)
VanAuken (per your comment, I assume we could count on your vote)
Manning (since he ran on it, he ought to favor restoring it)
Spears (he also had a fit when Station 11 suffered cuts, although he seems more apt to do what is best to land a post in Springfield these days than protect the Fourth District)
Ardis (also took Ran$burg to the mat for Station 11 cuts)
No-New-Taxes-No-Matter-What-Nichting (also stated that Station 11 cuts were a big mistake during his campaign)
If any of the above have changed their minds on the matter they should be made to account for it publically on the Council floor.
Moreover, as a voter, I think I have the right to know where Jacob stands on the matter.
I am all for Ardis' New-Generation Lets-All-Get-Along-and-Behave-Like-Adults-Leadership. However, at times it is more important to shed light on those who are not fufilling their promises than politely accept defeat.
As far as amending the budget to restore adequate fire service, I hope it will happen. Won't hold my breath on that one, though.
Thanks, as always, for your insight and commentary.
Polly
Polly,
The general public in Peoria will now be more confused about how dysfunctional EMS really is in Peoria after the unfortunate accident that injured Jeff Lickiss' daughter. Jeff had every reason to be upset with AMT but has to be very careful because he is employed by AMT and OSF. OSF is AMT's largest supporter in Peoria. Now all eyes are on the Peoria Fire Department (PFD) rather than on the EMS system and the physicians that control it. Important questions are not being asked and our attention is being diverted from important issues.
What was not mentioned after the accident was that the PFD cannot transport patients, cannot give pain medications, cannot provide advanced life support, and cannot secure the airway with a tube unless AMT gives them their permission. Jeff's daughter could
not receive any of this treatment from the PFD, including treatment for her severe pain, because the PFD is not allowed to do the above by the doctors at OSF who have controlled prehospital care over the last two decades and strongly influence policy by the Peoria City Council. The current Director of the Emergency Department at OSF was director of all of the ambulances in the Peoria area for a decade and on the salary of AMT and OSF at the same time. This serious conflict of interest is well known in the Peoria area EMS circle, including the volunteer and municipal firefighters, but not well understood by others. Many people (including physicians) that do understand it are silent because of the power players that support AMT and OSF. They also like their jobs. AMT is obviously the "preferred provider" and wants to extend their exclusive "contract" for many more decades maintaining their status as the only functioning paramedics and transport agency in Peoria. AMT and OSF does not want the PFD to cut into their EMS monopoly and potentially diminish any profits in this very lucrative business.
If the Joliet Fire Department or the Rockford Fire Department had taken care of Jeff's daughter at the accident scene, they could have provided her with the advanced medical care and transport that she needed and deserved. Unfortunately, she had her accident in Peoria.
John Carroll, MD
Dr. Carroll:
Yes, you are correct. As I see it, there are THREE very important issues that need to be addressed.
Number one: The fact that Peoria Fire Department no longer has the equipment necessary to adequately serve the public due to stupid budget cuts.
Number two: Is AMT doing a good job serving the public? The conflict of interest and AMT's resistance to providing statistics would lead me to believe they are not. If not, could the Fire Department (assuming they are adequately equipped) do a better job?
Number three: Even if AMT continues to serve Peoria should Fire Fighters who have paramedic training be allowed to use it when they are first on the scene?
Thank you so much for commenting. I'm flattered that you read the post! I am an admirer of your work. Thank you for all that you do serve Peoria and Haitian children/families.
Dear Polly:
I heard through a friend that you recently ate at Bud's and were dissatisfied with the cost of your meal. I would like the opportunity to discuss this with you to find out what happened that evening. On just the information you wrote, I figure your bill should have been around $80.00.
Please call 676-6443 and leave me your phone number and a time it would be possible to call you.
Thanks,
Steve Shaw
Executive Vice President
Mercedes Restaurants, Inc.
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