Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One’s strong, reliable emergency medical service will continue with passage of Proposition 1

Sonny Putnam isn’t sure what would have happened had Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One not responded so quickly when his wife called 911 several years ago, but there’s a decent chance he would not have survived.

By the time the medic unit arrived, he was in full cardiac arrest. The quick actions of the firefighter/paramedics and firefighter/EMTs saved his life that day.

Putnam is just one of the many lives that Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One has touched over the years. In 2016, the district responded quickly and professionally to more than 5,500 calls for emergency assistance — a 25-percent increase since 2011. No matter how you approach the topic, the emergency medical services the district provides are a valuable resource for the community.

Because of that, local residents have been very supportive of Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One. In 2012, the public sent a strong message of confidence when a permanent emergency medical services levy of $0.50 per $1,000 in assessed value was approved with a 63-percent “yes” vote. Chief John Burgess was instrumental in getting that levy passed by proposing an innovative revenue structure where residents of the district would not be charged for ambulance transports beyond what their insurance covered.

In recent years, though, the district is fighting a losing battle against state-imposed limits on annual revenue increases. A 1-percent revenue cap exists due to I-747, passed statewide by voters in 2001. Because operational costs can rise 2 percent or more per year due to inflation, the district’s budget has effectively been reduced every year — even as more residents move into the area and call volumes rise. Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One has been a great steward of community resources, living within its means by budgeting and spending carefully year after year, but the district can only do so much with limited resources.

We all rely on our fire department in times of need, and we want to know they’ll be there for us, like they were for Sonny Putnam. That’s why it’s so critical to pass Proposition 1 on the ballot this year. Proposition 1 will restore the EMS levy to the $0.50 that was previously approved by an overwhelming majority of local voters, ensuring the continuation of excellent EMS services in our community.

Please join me in supporting this measure and vote yes for Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One.

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 3:06 PM with the headline "Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One’s strong, reliable emergency medical service will continue with passage of Proposition 1."