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Mr. Gibson is entitled to his opinion, but to peddle fear is not a responsible answer to a simple problem that is being exacerbated by local fire departments attempting to play the role of a county medical director.

Remember, the 911 system is to be used for emergencies. It is not to used as a transport system for normal daily transfer of patients between health care centers with non-life threatening conditions.

When the Fire Chief of Marco Island complains of a host of issues, he may in fact, be preparing the folks to pay for EMS level services for defined non-life threatening services, which most of the private and hospital ambulance companies can provide.

I believe we need to clearly define the problem: County EMS dispatch protocol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So do not fall victim to expanding local municipal ambulance services because quite frankly they cannot compete on a cost basis with private services.

Match the level of service with the conditions at hand that require transport. I for one do not believe we need to provide EMS 911 transport for non-life threatening patients. DO NOT ALLOW municipalities to create a hodgepodge of local communities attempting to provide services for a wide area. That is why an EMS county provider was created, so are we to now return to a condition of decades past, or now to have response from an amalgamation of the city of Naples, North Naples and Marco Island?

So Isle of Capri, East Naples etc are out?

I never forgot this commentary from an emergency care physician!

http://www.marconews.com/news/2011/ap...

Watch out, this is an emergency!