WTH???? How was this not front page news? Seriously. Those of us whoever kept any news clippings from the Clovis point discoveries in E Wenatchee know that front page story was shared with the major news that Steve May had left Ballard to start Lifeline. As someone who has not lived in the valley for 20 yrs., I so appreciate that Dominick keeps us all abreast of this stuff. How did this not get greater coverage via eyewitnesses and the passengers? SMH
I had it for years but don't think I do anymore. I believe a lot of your readers would have saved that front page section because the Clovis points were such a big deal (they may not even recall the Ballard stuff: I just remember the headlines used the term "Heartstopper".
Oh, lord. My mother died seven years ago at the age of 95 and as long as she had the gift of reason, which was a long time, she never stopped insisting that she didn't want Ballard transporting her. I am starting to understand why.
In this particular incident on the Avenue at 9th Street , the Ballard ambulance could have killed some people. I don't believe that is how that is supposed to work.
That local media did not offer a whisper about the matter is unconscionable.
I can easily imagine that the GCC connection played a part in the subsequent silence. The community feels infiltrated. Media has a responsibility to report news, not to bow down or shrink back.
Know that, if it were a public agency's vehicle (WPD, CCFD1, WSP, etc), KPQ and the World would have did a brief story on this. But private ambulance companies are for-profit businesses here, and they spend a lot of money on advertising, and other self-promoting activities (Ballard used to have employees load up the ambulances with floral arrangements, and deliver them to the residences of physicians during the holidays, on the expectation that those doctors would pay it back by always calling Ballard if they needed a patient transported someplace; thankfully some doctors with ethical standards pushed back on this, but it was a standard for years).
Lifeline is owned by a local trucking millionaire, whose CEO calculated that there was an incredible profit to be made when you look at ambulances as a "cost per mile" business. People who suddenly find themselves patients unknowingly become cargo to our for-profit ambulance companies. So much profit that they constantly fight over turf, with the hospital and clinic caught in a position of not wanting to piss either owner off. The area 911 center is in the worst situation here, because, by the contract signed with both companies, you will not get the closest ambulance when you call- if you don't specify which company you prefer, you get the next one due up to make money. And if you think, "I'll just tell them I want _______, because their station is close to where I am", the ambulance there may be out on a call, and the next ambulance available from that company may be a distance away. The Comm Centre does not know exactly where they are, and the companies do not readily let 911 know.
Remember the bus crash up towards Mission Ridge, where the charter bus lost its brakes? A lot of people were injured, and one company got the call through that rotation deal. That one company did not have enough ambulances or staff on duty, and a LOT of injured people sat in the cold waiting for ambulances to return from the hospital, because only one company was allowed to respond to that incident. The other company, which had 3 more units available and offering to go help, was told to stand down.
One company donates their used ambulances to a local fire district for use as aid units, and in return, that fire district signed an exclusive contract with that ambulance company for transports.
I don't know if either company pays overtime in accordance with WA L&I rules now, but for several years they did not. An 80 hour week at regular time was not unheard of, and your time on call at home with an ambulance in your driveway was always unpaid.
Thanks so much for covering what our local news inexplicably does not. Something besides the accident that stood out to me was that Representative Clyde Ballard helped to craft legislation that governs private ambulance services. Is that not a blatant conflict of interest? And perhaps explains why our ambulance services are so expensive? Thanks again. Looking forward to more on this!
The general public have absolutely no idea how local and state political leanings negatively affected ambulance response in the valley. Like, no idea at all.
Once again, NO coverage by local news. What gives? Has GCC's ugly tentacles reached everywhere now? School board...news outlets?...City of Wenatchee govt?...local law enforcement?...Chelan Co govt?...Just how far is their reach to cover things up?
Another question you can ask IF Ballard ever responds. Was the ambulance driver cited? If yes, were they fired? Seems clear the ambo was violating the law, and this action would impact Ballard's insurance coverage. So if not cited, there's another big question to be explored.
WTH???? How was this not front page news? Seriously. Those of us whoever kept any news clippings from the Clovis point discoveries in E Wenatchee know that front page story was shared with the major news that Steve May had left Ballard to start Lifeline. As someone who has not lived in the valley for 20 yrs., I so appreciate that Dominick keeps us all abreast of this stuff. How did this not get greater coverage via eyewitnesses and the passengers? SMH
Oh boy, I would love to see that clipping. I have heard about that drama before but never really looked into it.
I had it for years but don't think I do anymore. I believe a lot of your readers would have saved that front page section because the Clovis points were such a big deal (they may not even recall the Ballard stuff: I just remember the headlines used the term "Heartstopper".
I'll go look that up at the library. Thank you!
Oh, lord. My mother died seven years ago at the age of 95 and as long as she had the gift of reason, which was a long time, she never stopped insisting that she didn't want Ballard transporting her. I am starting to understand why.
In this particular incident on the Avenue at 9th Street , the Ballard ambulance could have killed some people. I don't believe that is how that is supposed to work.
That local media did not offer a whisper about the matter is unconscionable.
I can easily imagine that the GCC connection played a part in the subsequent silence. The community feels infiltrated. Media has a responsibility to report news, not to bow down or shrink back.
Know that, if it were a public agency's vehicle (WPD, CCFD1, WSP, etc), KPQ and the World would have did a brief story on this. But private ambulance companies are for-profit businesses here, and they spend a lot of money on advertising, and other self-promoting activities (Ballard used to have employees load up the ambulances with floral arrangements, and deliver them to the residences of physicians during the holidays, on the expectation that those doctors would pay it back by always calling Ballard if they needed a patient transported someplace; thankfully some doctors with ethical standards pushed back on this, but it was a standard for years).
Lifeline is owned by a local trucking millionaire, whose CEO calculated that there was an incredible profit to be made when you look at ambulances as a "cost per mile" business. People who suddenly find themselves patients unknowingly become cargo to our for-profit ambulance companies. So much profit that they constantly fight over turf, with the hospital and clinic caught in a position of not wanting to piss either owner off. The area 911 center is in the worst situation here, because, by the contract signed with both companies, you will not get the closest ambulance when you call- if you don't specify which company you prefer, you get the next one due up to make money. And if you think, "I'll just tell them I want _______, because their station is close to where I am", the ambulance there may be out on a call, and the next ambulance available from that company may be a distance away. The Comm Centre does not know exactly where they are, and the companies do not readily let 911 know.
Remember the bus crash up towards Mission Ridge, where the charter bus lost its brakes? A lot of people were injured, and one company got the call through that rotation deal. That one company did not have enough ambulances or staff on duty, and a LOT of injured people sat in the cold waiting for ambulances to return from the hospital, because only one company was allowed to respond to that incident. The other company, which had 3 more units available and offering to go help, was told to stand down.
One company donates their used ambulances to a local fire district for use as aid units, and in return, that fire district signed an exclusive contract with that ambulance company for transports.
I don't know if either company pays overtime in accordance with WA L&I rules now, but for several years they did not. An 80 hour week at regular time was not unheard of, and your time on call at home with an ambulance in your driveway was always unpaid.
Thanks so much for covering what our local news inexplicably does not. Something besides the accident that stood out to me was that Representative Clyde Ballard helped to craft legislation that governs private ambulance services. Is that not a blatant conflict of interest? And perhaps explains why our ambulance services are so expensive? Thanks again. Looking forward to more on this!
Thanks for bringing us the news no one else will, Dom! Yeah..WTH??
The general public have absolutely no idea how local and state political leanings negatively affected ambulance response in the valley. Like, no idea at all.
Once again, NO coverage by local news. What gives? Has GCC's ugly tentacles reached everywhere now? School board...news outlets?...City of Wenatchee govt?...local law enforcement?...Chelan Co govt?...Just how far is their reach to cover things up?
Another question you can ask IF Ballard ever responds. Was the ambulance driver cited? If yes, were they fired? Seems clear the ambo was violating the law, and this action would impact Ballard's insurance coverage. So if not cited, there's another big question to be explored.
As with the Bethesda Cult scandal, I remember the Ballard v. Lifeline mess. IBallard’s greed was front and center.
There were claims that dispatchers were favoring one over the other or that individuals calling in demanded one brand over the other.
I remember that like it was yesterday. Personally, I would request Lifeline today, too.