tazzygirl
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quote:
ORIGINAL: AnimusRex
First off, I am not sure why this would become a federal issue, as opposed to a state or local issue, since most 911 systems are locally operated.
However, what strikes me most on this, is how our political discussion become stagnated by our inability to see anything in any other terms than "rights", and mandates.
For instance, the debate revolves around whether we the people have a "right" to this or that, meaning that the federal Gov't has an obligation to do it.
The points made about how far we want to go inprotecting people from their own risks are valid- posing something like CPR as an obligation of the State, and thereby removing it from the list of tools responsible parents should have, seems obviously foolish. But by the same token, standing with crossed arms and insisting that CPR operators have no responsibility to provide aid, seems like legalistic parsing, like the urban myth of an attorney who stood and watched someone die because he was afraid of getting sued.
Isn't it possible to frame things in terms other than rights and mandates? For example, can we see 911 as a public good that we elect to provide, and pay for by taxing ourselves- not because there is a Constitutional right to it, but simply because it makes good sense?
Couldn't we see items of public good- like public sewers, public fire protection, 911 emergency dispatch- and yes, perhaps public emergency CPR advice- as something we can develop and provide to ourselves by way of local government agencies?
In this view, the debate would simply revolve around mundane issues like whether it could be accomplished, or if it would need additional tax revenue to provide, and if that tax burden would be worth the value provided.
Instead of raising the Outrage meter to Defcon 5, and seeing it as an existential battle between Capitalism and Socialism.
Master Animus
first, im not proposing that the federal government step in and mandate who each state runs their emergency system. However, each state runs their own Nursing Board, EMT licensure, Medical Board, Cosmetology board, ect. Under each of these are the mandatory requirements to hold licensure. Most jobs hiring for these positions require the minimum mandatory requirements, including CPR.
My hope, on this end, will be a standardization of requirements for this position. These are people the public turn too for help, even police are trained in CPR and basic life saving skills. It would not take much to train 911 operators to actually perform CPR, and hand them a flip chart to aide callers. As i have pointed out earlier, the good samaritan laws would protect them from the undesired effects in the field... very much like you would be protected if you ran across a choking victim on the street and decided to lend assistance. Some states even make it illegal to deny assistance... you can be found at fault for not helping at all.
the second half of the OP was about where the money was going that our taxes pay for. Seems in 18 states the money goes to other things besides the sustaining of the system. Something else that needs to be addressed. Here everyone thinks the tax goes to 911 emergency services... they do not. seems its another pot for politicians to dip into.
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RE: Need for less federal government? - 
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(but just in case you don't know, you can take certain tests that will qualify you to drive bigger vehicles. Its called a CDL (Commercial Driver's License)
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