Andover throws away 70 years of neighborhood-oriented emergency medical service

To the Editor:

Congratulations to the Andover Township Committee for their uncaring decision to throw away 70 years of neighborhood-oriented emergency medical service by not renewing their contract with the Lakeland Emergency Squad.

I am an EMT and member of the LES and I have gone to the direct aid of my neighbors by running across the street or driving a block, getting there first. I have done many lift assists and other interventions for very ill diabetics; CPR for a husband and then going back to the same home multiple times to assist his widow; rushed to a neighbor with a myocardial infarction, to a drug overdose for a young adult, providing a fire extinguisher for a porch fire before the fire department showed up, first on scene at numerous motor vehicle accidents on route 517, gone two houses away for a chest pain, etc. And I am only one of at least seven persons on the squad in the township who have done the same thing for their neighbors: Ray Wexler, Rourke Day, Bill Keller, Sam Fortunato, Debbie Reidmiller and Mike Lensak. And when LES is out of the picture, that neighborly, competent, timely, caring help will all go away.

We have been there for you night after night, during snowstorms and hurricanes, dodging downed trees and wires. Our families who support us are equally there for you, because without that sense of community obligation at home, we could not give to you what we have given. I believe Andover Township will be poorer as community without the Lakeland Emergency Squad.

Peter Spinney

Newton