LETTERS: Ambulance decision jeopardizes citizens

To the editor:

Regarding the ambulance feud, what an excellent editorial, bringing to light a totally unacceptable situation in the deterioration of our emergency response service in Las Vegas (“Ambulance chaser,” May 4 Review-Journal). Las Vegas Fire Chief William McDonald’s decision to have his department’s paramedics take an increasing number of emergency transports away from American Medical Response does not make any sense. And it appears to be a severe degradation of effective service to our residents.

The editorial mentioned that since this action was taken, there have been 199 delayed calls, 13 of them with delays between 20 and 30 minutes; that in the previous month only 29 calls resulted in a delay of five minutes or longer for AMR’s service. AMR was handling about 70 percent of transports within city limits and the Fire Department was taking 30 percent of them. How does Chief McDonald expect the Fire Department to take on all the extra calls effectively, keeping in mind the number of paramedic units available?

AMR is apparently being notified by the Fire Department under the “we’ll call you when we need you” rules. That’s unbelievable. Chief McDonald has said that by late next year, his department could potentially handle 75 percent of patient transports. How do the Fire Department services now compare with what AMR can provide as backup calls? It appears that previously, emergency calls were routed to both AMR and the Fire Department. AMR must have an adequate number of trained personnel and ambulances throughout the city. How soon does the chief plan to expand his paramedic units to handle all of this traffic?

Keep in mind too, that Fire Department units also respond to fire alarm calls, thus depleting their availability for day-to-day patient transportation.

Personally, I don’t wish to wait until the end of 2015 to see if the chief can achieve his goals, unless he plans to hire more emergency medical technicians and buy many more response units for them to use. Does he have this large a budget?

This seemingly hasty and service-depleting decision is outrageous and puts all of us in jeopardy, including seniors, workers, residents and visitors. I call upon City Council members to review and act urgently to revoke this ridiculous decision so that we can all continue to receive the services we pay taxes to receive. Chief McDonald is looking to expand his revenue, but only through the life-threatening deterioration of public services. The chief is simply wrong.

GEOFFREY MARSH

LAS VEGAS

Rutgers got it right

To the editor:

Friday’s Review-Journal editorial deplored the lack of diversity at the Rutgers University campus, for not allowing former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to address the students at commencement (“Closed campus”). Unfortunately, your cry in the desert is not heard in New Jersey, because people in the diversified state of New Jersey do not have time to read the right-wing rag that is the Review-Journal. They have better choices of reading material.

Fortunately for the good citizens of New Jersey, they need not subscribe to the so-called newspaper that encourages law-breaking thugs such as Cliven Bundy and his gun-crazy militia to wag their guns at law-abiding citizens. These thugs want to fight big government because it is headed by a black president, while enjoying the generous subsidies granted to them by big government headed by past presidents.

The citizens of New Jersey enjoy first-rate universities, established to educate their young and not solely to play football and basketball. New Jersey citizens, like most people in the world, recognize that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Ms. Rice are war criminals. Those four have the right to write books for the benefit of their faithful followers, but good universities should not give them a forum to tout their so-called expertise in government.

GOPAL RAO

LAS VEGAS

Wheel of misfortune

To the editor:

Caesars Entertainment’s High Roller observation wheel at The Linq will be a colossal flop. After the newness and novelty of it wear off, its financial failure will manifest itself. Caesars should concern itself with reducing its massive $23 billion long-term debt instead of building a 550-foot pipe dream (“Caesars deal restructures debt,” May 7 Review-Journal).

In the last quarter ending March 31, Caesars lost $386 million. This is an all-time high, quarterly net-loss increase of 78 percent. A year ago, the company lost $217.6 million. In addition, Caesars’ four casinos in Atlantic City and Harrah’s Philadelphia saw revenues decline 13.7 percent. Wall Street analysts have opined that Caesars could be headed toward bankruptcy. Caesars’ glory days are over. It’s the end of an era, and it’s only a matter of time.

CLYDE DINKINS

LAS VEGAS