I agree we need volunteer Fire/Medic services. In the last few years though I have
seen an increase in what would seem to be wasteful use of those resources.

The other evening I heard a dispatch to a location about 1/2 mile from my home. Report of chest pains in a male resident at that location. As I sat here looking out the window facing the highway an Ambulance that now provides service to our area and located about 4 miles from us (we are 8 miles out of the city) roared past en route to the call. About 2 minutes later a volunteer unit went screaming by (after the original Ambulance service had been on scene for about 3 minutes). Then in about 3 more minutes another rescue unit screamed by. How many ambulance/medic units to you need on a call of chest pains.

I had asked this question a couple three years ago to one of the volunteer “Chiefs”. He said that they roll out whenever they can so they can claim “response” to a call. Sometimes whether it was in their jurisdiction or not (if it was in a reasonable response range). He said they receive federal grant money based on the number of calls they respond to. Now I hope I’m not speaking out of turn, and not trying to be overly critical, but when volunteer outfits start trying to figure a way to “scam” the system by responding when they are not really needed to get extra federal money, then maybe it is time to re-visit how calls are counted as “responded to”.

Maybe the first responding unit, or the one actually assigned to the call should get the credit instead of just showing up to be counted whether you do anything or not. Suppose an accident happens miles from where you are rushing to and you are needed at another scene more than just standing around being counted as a responding unit.

If anyone has the rationale for this please chime in, I’d like to learn.

Comments Welcome.

The US desperately needs Police Reform such as that in the early 1970’s. When the image of a Police Officer was not as shiny and bright. If you went to a party and someone found out you were an Officer you were many times shunned as dirty or unclean, mean and corrupt.

Our Police Forces need to be demilitarized, cleaned up, made to look more uniform to instill a sense of care and confidence in the public eye.

Patrol Cars once painted in recognizable contrasting colors denoting authority and uniformity are now more examples of art and some are dark and sinister looking with the least amount of markings possible so they can “catch” the criminal better. This is having a negative effect on citizens, and allowing the copycat Police to easily outfit vehicles to impersonate law-enforcement and carry out criminal enterprises. I realize that we must keep up with the times and uniforms and paint schemes change, but they should not be so radical as to alienate the public.

Some departments go too far the other way and claim it is for saving money and comfort to the public. Motorcycle Officers that once wore crisp uniforms with shiny badges, protective boots and Officially marked looking motorcyles are now dressed in Polo shirts, Khaki pants and some type soft tennis shoe. Gone are the crisp creased uniforms indicating effort was put into appearance. Badges are nothing but screenprinted images or sewn on cloth images (easily impersonated). The helmets and motorcycles look like something competing for coolest looking ride in a Biker Magazine. The patrol officer and units are looking the same.

SWAT, where do you even begin to mention the SWAT units. Once a great tool for hostage or active shooter situations, they have become the play toy of those with egos as big as the moon. Jumping from 3,000 No-Knock” warrants in 1981 to over 50,000 in 2005. Figures for later years are hard to come by as departments have become super secretive and bar inquiries into SWAT type records. Add to this the free military equipment given to departments and the abuse explodes with units using any excuse to secure and use these toys.

Los Angeles School Police were recently embarrassed and agreed to return 3 Grenade Launchers they had received. Yes, grenade launchers. They are keeping an MRAP vehicle and 61 Rifles. Lord knows when the next Teacher strike may occur.

More and more reports and videos of officers shooting people during routine traffic stops. As of yesterday a man stopped in broad daylight was asked to produce his license, when he turned and reached inside his vehicle he was shot but survived.

Or the Officer that shot the elderly man as he retrieved his walking cane from the bed of his truck after a traffic stop. Can’t tell the man had a walking cane? Watch the video and decide. I think it was obvious to me after 24 years of law-enforcement.

They need to be safe I agree, but they need better training than what I am seeing in many encounters that result in shootings.

Comments always welcome,

No, I’m not disparaging those of other races or generic nationality that run for office. I’m talking about electing our government A la carte. Too much emphasis is put on voting your party. Republicans can’t get together to decide where to have lunch most of the time, Democrats are all looking for ways to give away what we don’t have.

Somewhere among all of them are the ones that are true Americans. They are hampered by the Party Title and therefore sometimes get left out or not voted for. How many times do we fuss about the cable channels we are forced to endure because of “packaging”. We long for the ability to be able to choose a la carte exactly the channels we want and can use.

Is there a law that says we have to pull just one party lever or the other? Or are we just that lazy and don’t care. If we could break our party habits, we would not have a Republican or Democrat controlled Congress/Government, but an American controlled government populated by those that care about us and America and not re-paying promises to a party that helped get them in office.

When you go to the polls, look at it like an ultra important menu. One that you will ultimately pay for after selecting the daily special or ordering a la carte. Which do you really want to pay for, something selected for you, or what you really want.

In the next elections, let us eat well of what “we the people” want, not what the powers that be think we need.

Comments welcome