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One preventable death enough

When the editorial board wants to avoid talking about the issues, they blame politics (Aug. 1). They refer to a woman in our community dying (a preventable death) as an “isolated incident” and worse an “anecdote.” Isn’t one preventable death enough to act?

When our elected officials hear multiple instances of patients being put at risk, they should act. Dr. Edminster met with the same ARU drivers as did City Council. That is why the program was suspended in May.

The fixes, never discussed in the editorial, consist of having dispatch ask two more questions: Is a one-person response OK and is a 15-minute response OK? This is outrageous. When I call 911, I am having an emergency and am in no condition to discern time nor number. I expect adequate, timely, emergency response.

Was the death of Otto Zehm an “isolated incident”? Or did we change policies because of this “anecdote”? Never mind that City Council read aloud nine different examples to illustrate the issues. The City Council acted to protect all citizens and The Spokesman-Review should do their homework before another citizen dies.

Jim CastroLang

Spokane

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