[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEtbfzMLVWU[/youtube]
Oh, the belly rolls I get when I watch a couple of local TV stations battle it out over a story that was missed a year ago . . . the contract with Paramedics Plus;
That’s what city officials are saying after a recent report by other local media (KELO-TV) that called into question the response time of Paramedics Plus, claiming they may not even show up.
Tuesday night, the city council was supposed to hear the annual review for Paramedics Plus, but because of the recent news story, Sioux Falls Health Director Jill Franken was forced to spend most of the meeting setting the record straight.
“I feel it’s quite disheartening actually that we are getting calls from elderly ladies who are asking about concerns that they have about whether or not the ambulance is going to respond to them because of recent miscommunication that’s been provided in the community,” said Franken.
Well, Jill, those ladies should be concerned. There has been multiple reports of of bad service in the news and at public meetings. Personally I have received emails and have had accounts of questionable billing practices.
But let’s first address a news(?) organization taking the word of a city official with no follow up with actual clients of the ambulance service. Talk about lazy, piss-poor journalism. I hope they taught you more then to read a teleprompter in journalism school with the look of concern and nicely trimmed eyebrows.
Then let’s take the news organization they are attacking. Via email I made them aware that this should have been a news story when they were picked to be our ambulance service. DaCola had a massive paper trail of the cozy relationship between the provider and the consultant that picked them. We also had accounts of ‘early negotiations’ with the provider.
No response, must have been busy chasing rain drops.
South DaCola, and my foot soldiers have been compiling evidence and interviews with clients, and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Paramedics Plus.
On top of that, the news organizations could at least take the obvious and make hay with it.
• All money made from the service goes to Texas, and is not recirculated in our community.
• Paramedics Plus operates with an EMT and Paramedic team, when the previous service operated with two Paramedics.
• The 12 hour shifts, sitting in a vehicle are too long.
Then there is the mutual agreements and the non-emergency transfers that I won’t even go into.
What is pathetic about the whole situation is that while BOTH news organizations are sitting on a powder keg of a story, they take the time to roll around in the alley like a couple of stray cats fighting over an empty tuna can, while I sit at a public meeting and watch a big wig from said company look at his future fishing boat on his I-Pad while a constituent gives public testimony about his wife who eventually dies from a massive heart attack because of the poor service of the ambulance company.
Like some dark irony in a Batman movie, I watch the local news battle it out, while missing the big catch. Maybe they can borrow that fishing boat?
Wow. KELO interviews a person who had an ambulance never come, so Franken goes on the air and says “as your health director” an ambulance will always come.
Franken says “ambulances were not at their posts, which is what level zero means.” What kind of stupid semantics is that? NO AMBULANCE is available. That is what KELO said. IT MEANS THE SAME THING!
Franken expanded on the 95% compliance adding that for 5% they were at level zero, 42 of 67 transports were on time. Another way to say that is in May, 25 people had to wait for an ambulance because one wasn’t available.
That’s not quite one person a day, but close. So when you call 911 think about that. Will you be that one person for the day that “your health director” is an acceptable loss?
I wonder which miscommunication Franken is talking about provided in the community?
The mutual aid agreement Paramedics Plus claimed that was in place that isn’t?
That an ambulance won’t be on time if they’re at level zero? Franken said it’s not true, but the numbers show it happened 25 times in May alone, so she either just lied or is incompetent.
An ambulance won’t come at all? “An ambulance will come even if there’s a level zero” Franken said. What about Megan Sage? Is that why you had to use KSFY? Because KELO aired her story?
Nice job KSFY. Ignore the reporting of another station and attack their integrity just to get a headline, then ignore the obvious questions and serve up a PR story for the City instead of any real journalism.
I had always heard from city employees how arrogant Franken is and that was apparent in her speech to the council and her version of things to KSFY.
Just because you say something and and act indignant doesn’t make it the truth.
Just because you use your job title like that actually means something doesn’t change the facts. Your boss doesn’t appoint people based on their ability or credentials, he appoints them on who they know or their willingness to play politics, so don’t pretend your job title gives you any professional credibility.
Franken contradicted herself and spewed an emotional response. Clearly the KELO story struck a nerve.
Maybe next time write a contract in the patient’s best interest instead of the ambulance company’s profits and you won’t have to worry about stories like that.
My only question is does Franken know someone at KSFY or did they do the puff piece just because they are so far behind KELO in the ratings?
On a similar note, the PR director at the PD must have contacted KELO. Last night they had this terrible story where residents (well, one) said that the police are doing such a wonderful job cutting crime west of downtown. Really?
I also got a tip that the person interviewed in the original KELO story and her experience with PP was noted that she was related to a KELO employee. Yeah, she’s married to the Sales Manager and is the daughter of the GM. Funny how these stories take precedent when they are literally knocking on your back door.
Maybe we can hire George Zimmerman for citizen patrol in Pettigrew Heights? Problem solved.
I think one thing the city could do to make Pettigrew more appealing is to fix all the residential streets in the neighborhood, including curb and gutter, sidewalks, water and sewer. The neighborhood borders a bridge that is being reconstructed for millions, yet they can’t repave the roads in the hood.
If you need reliable transportation with care and public confidence, call Uber. Otherwise, disrobe and board the slow train.
The only reason to watch KELO or KSFY is if you’re an infomercial junky. Programming sucks and news is from a foreign country called Keloland. I watch KDLT because the new anchor woman is a fox and the weather man reminds me of Lawrence Welk.