Letters for Dec. 27, 2022
Setting the record straight on SREC
As recently retired fire dispatchers for the Spokane Fire Department, we feel compelled to respond to Lori Markham’s letter (“Serving the public better,” Nov. 22). The following are some facts that we welcome our government leaders and decisionmakers to check, for the good of public and responder safety:
1. SREC’s staffing is at dangerously low levels and they are struggling to hold onto the people that they’ve hired. Check the levels, ask why and demand improvement.
2. Management at SREC has been growing and is paid handsomely, Ms. Markham included. The organization is far more top heavy than the previous Combined Communications Center and partner agencies in the building ever were.
3. Spokane County voters didn’t “overwhelmingly support” the SREC model. They voted for Prop One, a continuation of an emergency communications tax. SREC rapidly and ambitiously organized themselves into a public development authority as a vehicle to grab those tax dollars and ultimately, dissolve the existing dispatching system. Most voters didn’t understand what SREC was until a powerful public relations effort influenced local fire agency leaders and commissioners to contract out their dispatch services to them.
4. The SFD didn’t choose to join SREC. A systematic effort to erode fire dispatch via expensive consultants, layoffs, scare tactics with inaccurate “stats,” AWOL management, failures to bargain and political strong arming forced their hand, and that of their union.
A once stellar dispatch was reduced to a smoking ruin. We truly fear for public safety.
Kelly Thomas, Grace Hammersley and Tonya Peone
Spokane and Spokane Valley
Sexual harassment
Schools, workplaces, parents and guardians should create a safer place for anyone who gets sexually harassed. Many people get sexually harassed but most are to afraid to talk to anyone. They keep it to themselves and have to deal with the trauma all alone. No person should have to go through that alone.
The American Association of University Women surveyed middle and high school students, 1,002 girls and 963 boys, 56% of the girls and 40% of the boys said they have been sexually harassed either in person or electronically via text, email or social media. Only 9% of the students reported to a trusted adult. Reasons why students did not report varied from fearing it wouldn’t have any impact, concerns for the staff members reaction or making the situation worse. Katie Hill from Teen Vogue stated “This is not something we can just ignore, pretend that it doesn’t exist or just say, ‘Well, that’s the way it is …’ We need to say that it is not acceptable to treat women that way, whether you’re behind a keyboard or in front of a woman in real life.”
Employees, store managers, school staff, parents and guardians, I ask you to get more resources to support sexual harassment so your employees, students and kids can have a safer place to talk about being sexually harassed if it ever happens. Planned Parenthood has really good resources on sexual harassment.
Elizabeth Day
Spokane
A nation divided
As a nation we are divided just about in half, into left and right. Suppose it is your body, instead. Which side would you fight for? If the left side destroys the right, you are lame. If the right side destroys the left, you are crippled. You are total toast if both sides are able to defeat the other. The only hope is that both sides lose.
Happy New Year.
Allan deLaubenfels
Spokane Valley