Another key service from paramedics

Reading Marilyn Seitz' letter in the Daily Herald June 17, praising Dr. Stanley Zydlo for founding the paramedic program in the Northwest suburbs reminds me of other benefits paramedics provide. They arrive at the scene equipped and trained to evaluate threats to life and help the patient decide whether transport to the hospital is necessary, thus saving money.

They stabilize a situation on site and in transit, thus making the trip a more deliberate one, possibly saving lives which would be endangered by screaming sirens and racing vehicles.

They communicate with the target hospital so the emergency room crew can prepare for an incoming patient.

I am grateful to the special nurses like my former neighbor, the late Joan Groves, who helped with on-site training of paramedics as they were becoming certified for the job. Thank you to all who make us safer.

Ellen McDonald

South Elgin