Dear Citizens of Atchison and Holt Counties,

The Atchison-Holt Ambulance District has been in place since a public vote in 1974. There has not been an elevation in the tax to support the ambulance district since 1977. We have been faithfully and passionately addressing our citizens’ emergency medical needs as well as the visitors that pass through our counties, especially along the 60 miles of interstate for which we are responsible. We currently have four ambulances that can be used for service, each of which has over 200,000 miles on them. The prices have astronomically increased over the past ten years. It has come time that we need to start replacing our fleet. We have no intention of replacing them all at one time, but plan to do so in a staggered manner. The current waiting period for an ambulance once it is ordered is one year or more. Not only have ambulance prices increased, but the price of medical equipment and medications have all risen over 200 percent over the past five years. This makes it very difficult for an ambulance district of our size to keep the quality of equipment and medications needed for life saving situations in stock and on the road.

It is our hope and mission in serving the public to attempt to provide an Advanced Life Support Paramedic on every ambulance that is in service. They are responsible for providing life saving care when it comes to trauma, stroke, breathing, and cardiac arrest. Unfortunately our staffing at this time does not allow us to do so, having to put some ambulances in service with Basic Life Support Technicians, all of who do a wonderful job but have limitations in their current training and expertise.

As the Medical Director for Atchison-Holt Ambulance District, Atchison and Holt Counties, I am asking you to please support our mission to provide the best, high quality, emergency care, ambulances, equipment, and medications needed to serve our communities and our citizens. Please vote YES in support of the Atchison-Holt Ambulance District Tax Levy. This would greatly assist the Atchison-Holt Ambulance Board in appropriately addressing our communities’ medical needs when we need them most.

Sincerely,

R. Aron Burke, MD