Alright, I have had enough. This Bi-County Health Bureau needs to go away. There is no practical purpose for it to exist anymore. With all the charting that takes place in the medical field, everything that is being stated as being in favor of the bureau is so off base. Medical records are all electronic anymore. The DOH has a process that they utilize at a state level to determine these things. If an outbreak did occur, the bi-county health bureau will not have any direct involvement. It is not the same as the Allentown or Bethlehem Health Bureau.
By the time that a bureau would even be aware of the problem, there would already be a response. There are so many processes in place that creates such an overlap, that would is being proposed would have no business being funded or advocated for. With regards to an emergency of sorts that would take place in Northampton County, such as a plane accident, they would not even be there.
If people want to focus on this kind of concept, then they need to focus on the emergency services as a whole. Since 9/11, there has been funding for them, but not in the ways that you think. Many of the funding that is available only covers specific training that has no bearing on our geographic location. New York City has had millions of dollars spent on this training, and they have nothing to show for it. They still are ill equipped to handle a tragic incident. It is by no fault on them, but rather the fact that the emergency services have been neglected for far too long.
People take for granted that their house doesn't catch on fire, or that their loved one doesn't have a heart attack or simply put, that they have an officer that is responding to them for a burglar that is only five minutes away. Let's use Upper Mt. Bethel or Lower Mt. Bethel for example, they are utilizing the Pennsylvania State Police. How long does it take for them to respond to these areas in the event of an emergency. Tom Nervine is right on when he advocates for the betterment of these responses. We need to focus on what does have an impact on a daily basis, and stop dealing with the what ifs that don't really matter anyway.
People who advocate for the Bi-County Health Bureau are simply off base. Take a look into the facts. It costs money and does nothing to justify it. I am willing to debate on this matter. I believe that education will allow for people to be informed on this matter and agree with this at the end of the day.
The funding of the bi-county health board will only happen if Gracedale is sold. I say a foolish idea, but selling Gracedale was the way Stoffa wanted to pay for the health board, but I think he lost support for it on council. At least majority support.
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