America’s leading cause of death? Heart disease.

San Juan Island’s rating for having some of the best cardiac incident save rates in the nation? San Juan EMS.

This Feb. 8, vote to support the continued independence of our talented Emergency Medical Services team. Vote YES for San Juan County Public Hospital District Proposition #1.

According to CARES- Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival, a group of over 1800 EMS agencies and 2,200 hospitals nationwide, no one has a better rural cardiac incident save rate in the country than our homegrown and independent Emergency Medical Services team. Even with the extra time of an air ambulance trip to St. Joe’s or Harborview our EMS still achieves save rates almost as good as in Seattle.

Fire District #3 and members of CAG want to absorb our EMS team in spite of the crew’s objections. Perhaps that can happen some day through open discussion of how it could be accomplished without compromising our level of care. For now, though, our emergency medical team is independent and one the best in the nation.

Let’s support them with our YES votes.

Fred Ellis

Friday Harbor