Editor, OBSERVER:

This letter is in response to recent comments in the letter “No cure for rural health care” (Feb. 29) about the lack of trained local community first responders.

The Gowanda Ambulance Service Corp. is a paramedic level service, which means highly trained first responders. A high level of care is traveling quickly to the 911 emergency call.

The Gowanda ambulance is an emergency room on wheels with the necessary medical supplies needed for any emergency.

Emergency medical technicians and paramedics must maintain their certificates with continuing educations courses and renewing their certificate every three years through New York state certified classes.

Your local responders are highly trained. The staff at Gowanda EMS is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At times, our two ambulances are each on a call, then the Flycar responds with a paramedic responder.

Gowanda Emergency Medical Services is dedicated to serving the Village of Gowanda and the towns of Collins, Dayton, Persia and Perrysburg.

The goal of every responder is to meet our mission statement: to provide the highest quality of pre-hospital medical care to the people of our communities

PATRICIA VOLK,

president,

Gowanda Ambulance Service Corp.