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The public notice for the fire assessment agenda item appeared in the Naples Daily News Aug. 22 on page 4B as almost half a page lengthwise. Why did it not appear in the Marco Eagle where many more people would have read it?

The notice shows that after this year fire/rescue costs for condos is more than single family homes. Where are they when they should be opposing the assessment? MITA has shared the consultant’s report with EMS personnel in Collier County since they have never seen the report. Why didn’t Chief Murphy or Chairman Bill Trotter, or City Manager Thompson share the report for the county’s feedback since EMS is a county program? No wonder the county leadership told EMS leadership, “It is Marco Island’s problem; stay out of it.”

MITA feels that there is a misrepresentation of facts. In all county fire/rescue programs there are many, many more EMS (medical) calls than fire calls, closer to 80 percent. Most firefighters are also paramedics or EMTs. Chief Murphy hires only EMS trained personnel. Does he need three more?

According to Government Services Group’s report there are 40 percent fire calls and 60 percent EMS calls. MITA looked at appendix A which records the code for incidents. Only five codes are listed as EMS; all the rest are non-EMS. In studying other Florida GSG appendix A Reports many more EMS codes are listed. Why list fewer for Marco Island? Is it to list fewer incidents when EMS is needed. How can that be justified when firefighters are also EMS trained?

It is time to examine GSG’s “unique” methods for representing facts, figures, and impact. Gainesville turned down their “unique” GSG report. Their cost starts at $75,000, but usually end up closer to $100,000. At the last meeting, their cost stands now at $90,000. And for that cost they use a semi-boiler plate format and only need only to change the name of city or county and facts and figures. GSG forgot to include in its “unique” methods that Marco Island is different; Marco Island is on water. There is no mention of boats, boat docks such as the Esplanade, Pier 81, or the Yacht Club.

Charts in the report list 685 fire calls for cost of $4,014,434. That is $6,000 per fire call! Compare that to costs per fire call throughout the county – less than $2,000. Isn’t that an example of misrepresentation? The report states a ratio of fire to EMS as fire, 91 percent to 9 percent for EMS even though there are many more EMS calls than fire calls.

For many years residents have asked the fire department to stop sending three vehicles to EMS calls. The sirens and horns drive people on Collier Boulevard crazy. One man said it hurts his teeth. Diesel fuel is most expensive so why send the fire truck when it is an EMS call? It used to be that firefighters were “first responders.” Now they are either paramedics or EMTs. Please send the EMS vehicle and police on strictly medical calls.

Twice I have served on county committees trying to consolidate fire departments into one program to save costs. The fire commissioners do not want to give up their control. Think about each district having to pay attorneys for bargaining, plus all the other expenses. EMS has its own protocols under Dr. Robert Tober, one the most experienced medical directors in the nation. His was judged as the best EMS program in the state, and then was awarded the best in the nation. North Naples Fire/ Rescue Department wants to train their own paramedics and EMTs.

In this economy cost must be taken into consideration. The fire assessment is just another tax. The fire/rescue program should remain under ad valorem taxes. EMS now must be under ad valorem. It is time to curb spending and not approve a new fire truck with an additional crew of 10 in 2009-2010.

Perhaps I am too close to EMS having been chairperson of Collier County EMS for 10 years and on the board for many more years. Both fire and EMS are important health related programs, but EMS accounts for many more calls and must be treated truthfully. Citizens are happy there are fewer fire calls.

Let’s be truthful all the facts and figures.