Concern with the City of Venice moving rescue from the Laurel station to cover emergencies in other parts of the city and the negative impact it will have on north Venice communities

From Wikileaks Sarasota County – John

This is a letter of concern regarding the safety and timely manner in which our residents and nearby neighbors receive advanced life support care and transportation. When the City of Venice sold us on taking over Ambulance service from Sarasota County, they promised faster and better quality service. Effective 12/20/21 at 9am, the Venice Fire Chief Frank Giddens has allowed the move of your rescue out of the Laurel Road fire station on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am to 5pm to cover possible emergencies in other parts of the city.

What this means for us is less personal on scene that would be helping in life saving care, and a longer wait time for an ambulance to show up and transport our loved one to the hospital.  Studies have shown that longer on-scene times and delay in transport increase mortality rate. This would be a huge step back in services that we pay for, while providing better service to a different part of the city at the expense of the safety of our communities.

Communities that will be impacted:

To voice your concern about this diminished service, call the fire department at 941-480-3030 or your City Mayor Ron Feinsod at 941-303-3357 or a Council member at 941-882-7405