REMSA

REMSA Meeting, Aug 23, 2017

l3wis August 25, 2017 4Comments

Our monthly wambulance board report is a doozy, so get ready.

Sioux Falls has “citizen” boards to assist the City Council with recommendations. We citizens are constantly reminded the collegial boards are not to be made public by video or other recordings because they might be afraid to show up and do what they chose to do. These boards are not policy making bodies but a place to make recommendations for the City Council (The Policy Making Body of Sioux Falls) to make policy from.

So of course we show up with our handicams to see what non-important, important things like policy making they are doing.

August 23, 2017 the Sioux Falls Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) board met at noon to get their monthly sandwich allowance and talk.

When Cameraman Bruce showed up, the door was blocked from view and closed. Isn’t this supposed to be an “open” meeting with a door open? As he finished setting up his handicams the room filled up with all the usual participants. As the City Attorney showed up and made sure the door was shut behind him. Not good. So Cameraman Bruce with all the meeting participants watching, propped the door open with a garbage can. Now we have an open meeting with a garbage can making it happen.

Look at meeting agendas for this board and others, you will see a lack of agenda. In our video we show you the agenda, or lack thereof published.

1. We have a new 980 less, phantom ambulance policy voted on without public notice.
2. We have a new drug based overdose policy voted on without public notice.
3. We have a new drug based chemical restraint policy which could kill a member of the public without public notice.

This non-policy making body voted on several policy changes with no public notice and then didn’t have enough handouts to everyone in the room to read. There was not public input allowed on the different new policies or things which sort of appeared to be policy. They even used the words policy as they voted. We’re sort of looking for these items to go before the City Council someday but we won’t hold our breath if the collegials show up.

REMSA Board severely limits public input at their meetings (July 26, 2017)

l3wis July 27, 2017 8Comments

Do you want to see what a Huether Public Input is going to be if given a chance? Watch the Sioux Falls REMSA (Regional Emergency Management Service Authority) board from July 26, 2017 to find out. What good is government if it is done behind closed doors with no chance for the people to have a voice for their concerns?

The June 2017 REMSA board meeting got out of control with the people who showed up to talk about the crappy wambulance service provider. You know the one, the service who has Metro Communication (911 EMS) dispatch Phantom ambulances to priority calls so they can finish their Subway sandwiches during a priority call heart attack incident.

Look at these new rules:
1. You will be able to speak only once in three months
2. You will be able to speak for only three minutes
3. Public Input will be at the end of the meeting
4. Public Input will be limited to the time available
5. If Public Input is too long, they will stop it
6. If there is an executive session scheduled, there might not be a Public Input period at all

What is going on? Why should a board of citizens who are afraid of our cameras be allowed to shut down the public’s ability to have a voice. These people, by their own admissions, are not experts in the way the system works. Why shouldn’t we be allowed to show up, ask for help and or give advice to fix the system?

There is more to catch in this video, how about 97% and better response times for ambulances. They don’t tell us how they do it in the 711 page contract but we are figuring it out. We’ll keep letting all know as we can release more information.

One thing about attending these “open” meetings with the chief number one attorney for the city. It gets stuffy when he allows the doors to closed so the public doesn’t come in. There is a little inconvenient South Dakota law requiring the door to be opened during government meetings to allow the public to freely enter and leave the room. The only time the door can be closed is during the Executive sessions for 1) contract negotiations, 2) personnel issues and pending litigation. There was a violation of the statute, care for a photo?