Letters: EMS work nothing short of heroic; Proposed ordinance creates unfair process

EMS work nothing short of heroic

When traumatic incidents and serious illnesses affect people in our community, there’s a special group that runs to their aid, regardless of the risk. Our first responders are prepared to care for our friends, family and neighbors at all times, and they do it with a profound mix of courage and compassion.

Among others, our police officers, firefighters, dispatchers and emergency medical service (EMS) providers maintain a level of discipline and fortitude that saves lives in the face of danger and exhausting shifts.

“EMS: Where Emergency Care Begins” is the theme of National EMS Week this year, and it couldn’t be truer of the skilled and selfless people I call colleagues. Our paramedics, emergency medical technicians, pre-hospital nurses and doctors, and everyone who works with them to coordinate and deliver care are the first on scene in our moments of greatest vulnerability, when every second counts.

They care for us with great dedication and at considerable personal sacrifice, because they love their work and the communities they serve.

EMS Week takes place May 21-27, and we encourage you to join Geisinger in celebrating and thanking our EMS providers for being the front line of emergency care in our neighborhoods. Not until our times of need do we truly recognize how critical they are to our well-being. And even as you read this, they are making a difference in someone’s life right now.

Proposed ordinance creates unfair process

Centre County Association of Realtors (CCAR) is writing to express opposition to the Responsible Contractor Ordinance, which provides the provisions for “responsible” and responsive bidding on public works projects in Centre County.

As currently written, the county would require at least 70% of the craft labor workforce employed on a public works project be either a journeyperson, who has completed an apprenticeship training program, or a registered apprentice, who is enrolled in a training program. While ensuring proper training is essential, many local contractors do not have the resources to provide apprenticeship training to employees and, therefore, these businesses may be excluded from bidding. Creating an unfair bidding process that favors larger, outside contractors could be detrimental to the community.

By preventing capable, local businesses from bidding on contracts, hardworking taxpayers are likely to pay more as costs will inevitably rise. From a real estate perspective, this type of mandate could have a significant impact on the production of affordable housing and may impact achieving one of the county’s leading agenda items, attainable housing.

CCAR would like to see the 70% craft labor apprenticeship requirements removed and would support the version of the ordinance that provides, in lieu of participation in an apprenticeship, “the County will accept documentation, submitted as part of the firm’s certification, of a successful resume of projects, documentation of the firm’s internal training program, roster of the trained personal in its employ and submission of its safety program and Experience Modification Rate (EMR).”

Stigma around mental illness

Since May is Mental Health Month, I thought it appropriate to address the ongoing stigma associated with mental illness. The stigmatization of a mentally ill individual, slowly but surely, makes matters so much worse for someone battling a mental illness. The stigma is reflected by others to the individual in so many ways: belittling comments, avoidance, anger, coldness, negative looks, etc.

I wholeheartedly object to the television commercials used by pharmaceutical companies who tout their medicine to be used when battling a mental illness. To me, these commercials give the false impression that just taking medicine will quickly cure a person. Although medicines do help someone battling mental illness, talk therapy is very important, also.

I believe that these faulty commercials tend to empower individuals who stigmatize mental illness because it gives credence to their beliefs; as a result, this allows them to continue to negatively treat individuals who are mentally ill.

Furthermore, battles with mental illness rarely end quickly; sometimes it can be lifelong. A mentally ill person must have an acute awareness of stress, being overwhelmed, etc., and this needs to be firmly in place. This takes a great deal of time and effort.

My challenge to others is to try to give a mentally ill person a hug, even though it may not be reciprocated.