On May 3, Oxford Township and Village voters will decide the fate of two millage proposals and two bond issues concerning the Oxford Fire Department.
A political action committee calling itself ‘RESCU? has been formed to educate voters and promote passage of these ballot requests with particular emphasis on why the proposed ALS millage is needed.
RESCU stands for ‘Residents Emergency Safety Care Unit.? The group is comprised of Oxford firefighters and concerned citizens.
Serving as the committee’s chair/treasurer is Gretchen Dallas, an Oxford resident for 7? years and step-mother of former Oxford firefighter Paul Dallas. She said the ‘main reason? she formed this group is to protect ‘my family and my home.?
‘I don’t mind paying a little extra in taxes, if it helps get extra medical attention on the scene and they can transport (to the hospital) immediately,? she said. ‘I can’t put a price on my family’s life.?
Oxford’s fire department currently provides Basic Life Support, which means firefighters are the first ones to respond in medical emergencies and are charged with stabilizing patients.
Oxford currently receives its ALS from the private provider American Medical Response, which can minister a higher level of medical care (such as IV drug therapy, invasive maneuvers to clear blocked airways and shocking the heart with a defibrillator) and immediately transport patients to the hospital ? things the fire department cannot do at the present time.
Dallas said firefighters are planning to go door-to-door to personally speak with residents about the upcoming ballot proposals and the importance of starting a locally-run ALS service, while RESCU plans to do some mass mailings of campaign literature.
Anyone wishing to join RESCU can contact Dallas at (248) 628-8898.
RESCU campaign signs promoting the ballot proposals will arrive later this week. To get one for your front lawn contact Margie Payne at (248) 628-2950.
To help pay for signs, flyers and brochures promoting ‘yes? votes on all four ballot proposals, RESCU will host a Scrapbooking Crop at American Legion Post 108 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 23.
A $30 pre-paid admission to the event entitles each participant to 12-hours of scrapbooking plus lunch and dinner, snacks, desserts, beverages, prizes, raffles and a free ‘goodie bag of popular scrapbooking merchandise,? some of which has been donated by The Scrapping Post in Oxford.
The Clarkston-based Unique Impressions will have a booth set up at the event if anyone wishes to have titles, names or dates imprinted on their scrapbook albums? covers or bindings. Unique Impressions will donate a percentage of each sale that day to RESCU.
For more information about the 12-hour Scrapbooking Crop call Kristine Balinski at (248) 969-3095 or e-mail her at kkaubry@charter.net.
Registration forms for the event can be obtained at The Scrapping Post (120 S. Washington St. inside the Oxford Marketplace) or by contacting Balinski. Seating is limited so register as soon as possible.
Anyone with questions about the upcoming millage proposals can contact Fire Chief Jack LeRoy at (248) 628-2525 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.