JOURNAL READER

Paramedic is a true hero

The Genesee County Medical Authority has no place in saying the actions of the paramedic who transported an injured police officer were not proper. While rules are necessary regarding patient care, there are situations in which the rules do not or cannot apply. As a former Detroit police officer and a current local jurisdiction officer, I can tell you that this practice is carried out across the state. In fact, if you fail to get an injured officer to a medical facility as quickly as possible, you may be looked down upon by fellow officers.

As an officer in Detroit from 1997-99 we lost two officers. In both cases, the first car placed the injured officers in their patrol vehicle and rushed them to the hospital with a line a police cars blocking the intersections along the way.

I see no problem with the practice. The Genesee County Medical Authority has many other problems to deal with and should not be complaining. Instincts take over and you just react in situations such as this. I commend the sheriff for his handling of the matter and would hope that a fellow officer would do the same for me if something were to happen.

Let the medical authority concentrate on getting ambulances on the scene in a timely manner and let us police officers handle our own. Leave the county paramedic alone - he is truly a hero.

Thomas E. Whitt

Mundy Township

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© 2006 Flint Journal. Used with permission