Letter to my Congressman

[Richard B the EMT]

The following E-Mail was sent, with my full name and address included, to Congressman Robert Turner, of the 9th Congressional District, formerly held by the disgraced Anthony Weiner. I believe the letter is self explanitory.

Dear Representative Turner:

Courtesy of the NYPD 100th Precinct Community Council President, I received your E-Mailed proclamation regarding National Police Week. Pursuant to the paperwork signed by President John F. Kennedy, the week containing May 15th is National Police Week.

However, President Gerald R. Ford signed the paperwork that made the third week of May into National Emergency Medical Services Week. This year, both weeks coincide.

With the other two thirds of the Emergency Services, specifically, the Police and Fire Services, being each over 200 years old, and EMS being "the new kid on the block", as even the term EMS has only been around from roughly 1970, I, as both a 38 year career EMT, and one of your constituents from the Rockaways, feel somewhat slighted, by no mention from your office regarding National EMS Week.

Near your home, both the Rockaway Point and Roxbury Fire Departments run EMS, "The ROCK Volunteer Ambulance Corps attempts to resurrect themselves, and you have the Broad Channel and West Hamilton Beach VFDs also running EMS, as well as the Flatlands and Lindenwood VACs providing additional EMS coverage in other areas of your district, not to mention the EMS Command of the FDNY's Station 47. I served in both the late Peninsula Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and Station 47, and responded to both the Golden Venture incident and the American Airlines Flight 587 Crashes while off duty, as did many other EMTs and Paramedics.

Before the National EMS Week concludes, could you send out another proclamation, honoring the Medical First Responders, EMTs and Paramedics, and Emergency Medical Dispatch personnel?

Respectfully,

Richard B,

New York State Emergency Medical Technician-Basic.