Privatizing EMS Protest At Township Reorg Meeting Part 3

F he's the president thank you Dave I just want to apologize I need to cut the the line but I appreciate the introduction uh I want to first uh wish everybody a Happy New Year congratulate those who are in office it certainly is not a uh a time to uh be in a leadership role very difficult time and uh I had an opportunity uh to listen to your remarks and I appreciate uh everything that was said I know there are some very difficult decisions and and um uh difficult times to uh address these issues I I do hope that you would agree that the the number one priority of government is to keep people safe and that is regardless and we uh to some of the comments from from mayor and the other committee men was that in difficult times is when it separates the men from the boy so to speak and that is true how we act when you know anybody can uh fix the budget when we're flush with money and and hire and not lay off and everything goes well it's when things are difficult when we have to make the difficult decisions uh however I think we need to keep our priorities uh in order you heard uh Shannon speak uh that is a great example of why I'm so proud to represent uh firefighters and EMS workers uh I think she is a tremendous example and while um she said she's not a public speaker I don't think that I or anybody else who uh is going to follow her could put it any better in in the emotion in the passion and that passion really deserves and demands the um the respect of government and the time to communicate back and forth um mayor you did mention a number of things critical to the community you spoke about homeless homelessness about the downtown about the diversity of the town and I think that um the Common Thread there is that the people that I represent and that Shannon represents actually physically touch these homeless people on a daily basis and and are in the community and work with a diverse Community uh it is New Year's Day and while uh many of us discussed what we were going to do later on and watch ball games and uh where we would may want to be and not be here speaking to necessarily fight for jobs and do something more pleasant police officers that is to my right the the the EMS workers who work on New Year's Day and on Christmas and during Hanukkah and all of the holidays during the night whether it is the the hottest day whether it's a hurricane blowing through whether it's the coldest day they are here every single day uh I'm pleased that I and I did get to meet some of you for the very first time I'm looking forward to talking to Mr Edwards and we with with those things said we we asked for one thing and that is the respect to communicate not only are they good in what they do um As A Firefighter I'm a firefighter in the city of Elizabeth the police officers in Lakewood the firefighters in Lakewood the firefighters and police officers across the state while we're looked to in emergency situations um to to to help our citizens the people we look to are our EMS workers when we get hurt and we get injured they are our as Shannon put the Angels who come and rescue us that type of commitment that 30 years of dedicated service to this community demands the respect of communication to sit down as as Mr Edward say we're going to do and to work something to find a solution that maintains and the other thing that was mentioned and I can say this uh clearly Lakewood has a lot to be proud of it's Council it's mayor it's police is fire and I could tell you that EMS across the state does look to the the township of Lakewood as how to do it I would tell you as the number one priority to keep people safe to please keep that tradition regardless of the economy make sure the people of this community are kept safe and that those who who keep them safe deserve what they uh what what they have coming and that is a fair look and to maintain what they do here thank you for your time happy good afternoon Robert Rocko liid EMS uh presid in Bricktown I have been a resident of the township um I was proudly uh appointed to the EMS Department as a part-time employee one month before uh September 11th happen um that event took a long time to come um and it wasn't that I was the next person on the list I was asked to come here because at that time there was such a standard and there still is to work here the people that work in lakid EMS have more standard higher ethics than most people do in the non-private sector our hearts are dedicated and our lives are spent protecting you the residents and the visitors of this Township I've been an EMT for almost 20 years and I'll tell you what when I came here to work this is where I wanted to be nowhere else not in Elizabeth not in Jersey City not Atlantic City not in California I wanted to be here okay this is where I belong this is where the people of Lakewood deserve the best and they have the best do not get rid of us allow us to keep providing the best care that we can for all the residents we don't just service the senior citizens on the Southwest Corridor we service all the residents of this Township comments have been made in public in print that they don't affect me because I don't use their service they do use our service we have provided service for them in one way or another the dedication by these people here today to come here today and stand in front of you shows that we deserve to be here we deserve the right to continue to stay here providing the best care anywhere in the state of New Jersey and that's here thank you