Rescue squad asks for forgiveness
To the citizens in the Pageland Rescue Squad coverage area, we at the Pageland Rescue Squad asked the forgiveness of this community for the actions of the past and assure you that this is not to be forgotten. We shall make the necessary changes to insure that history will not repeat it’s self. We at the Pageland Rescue Squad are dedicated to God first, and then to this community, and will continue to serve you to the best of our ability. Despite the actions of others to undermine this organization or the rumors that we are disbanding, we will hold strong for you in your time of need of our services. We welcome all that are interested in the Squad to stop in during our regular meetings on the second Tuesday of each month and give us some feedback on what we do.
Feel free to contact us at Pageland Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 507, Pageland, SC 29728 or call 843-672-6700 and leave a message and we will answer all questions as soon as possible.
Captain Patrick Sutton,
Pageland Rescue Squad
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5 comments:
You asked for feedback, well here you go Mr. Captain: First and foremost the few remaining squad members should reinstate those hardworking and dedicated members who were kicked off the squad by the previous executive committee for coming forward with the truth regarding the financial fiasco the squad is currently involved in. It's a shame a town as small as Pageland can't even have a decent rescue squad to serve its citizens. It's also a shame that for the first time since the squad was initiated, those few members remaining are too ashamed to wear the Pageland Rescue Squad shirt proudly and have resorted to simply wearing a shirt that says E.M.S. Certain squad members of the past served this community well and dedicated the majority of their adult years in service to this fine town. They deserve to be treated with more respect and dignity. The truth hurts, however, it has to be told.
Before you throw stones have the guts to give your name. But thats o.k. because the members who want to make the squad grow and run it the right way do wear the squad shirts and are not ashamed to represent the squad unlike Jimmy and Donna who are most of the trouble in the squad now.
First of all, I do have the right to remain anonymous and will continue to do so and exercise my right to free speech. Secondly, it's pretty low of a person of assumed authority to talk badly of people who volunteer their time. In case you are wondering, Patrick, I can guarantee niether "Jimmy nor Donna" had anything at all to do with this post. If you're going to throw stones (as you suggested) maybe you should make sure you're aiming them in the right direction before sending them hurling. It appears to me someone is trying to play dodgeball in regards to the suggestion of reinstating those dedicated volunteers who were released from their positions. Now, do you have the guts to call for their reinstatement?
IN REGARDS TO ANONYMOUS, IT IS ASHAMED THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE GUTS TO SIGN YOUR NAME WHERE EVERYONE WILL KNOW WHO IT CAME FROM. IN MY CASE, I AM NOT, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE CONNER AND YES AT ONE TIME I DID TURN MY RESIGNATION IN, BUT IT WAS NEVER APPROVED BY THE MEMBERS, SO THEREFORE, I AM STILL A MEMBER AND ALSO A BOARD MEMBER. I AM NOT ASHAMED TO BE SEEN IN A PAGELAND RESCUE SQUAD SHIRT OR WITH ANYONE WHO IS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THE SO CALLED, "FINANCIAL FIASCO" THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT HAS NEVER BEEN PROVEN TO BE TRUE, SO HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT IT IS. THE CERTAIN SQUAD MEMBERS THAT DONE THIS TO THE SQUAD DOES NOT WANT THE SQUAD TO GO FORWARD AND ONE OF THEM HAD SAID A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST JOINED THEM THAT THE SQUAD WOULD NOT BE IN EXISTENCE FOR ANY LONGER THAN A YEAR AND IT HAS BEEN 3 YEARS SINCE THEN. THE RESCUE SQUAD IS A FINE ORGANIZATION TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH IF THE ONES THAT WANT IT CLOSED DOWN WOULD LEAVE IT ALONE. ANY ORGANIZATION HAS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH NEW IDEAS AND THEY WERE NOT READY TO LET THIS HAPPEN. YOU KNOW I WAS REALLY THINKING ABOUT RESIGNING FROM THIS ORGANIZATION BECAUSE OF THEM, BUT I REALIZED THAT I CANNOT LET ANYONE PUSH ME AROUND TO DOING SOMETHING THAT I WILL REGRET. AND NO, AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED THOSE FOUR THAT WERE TOLD TO LEAVE THE SQUAD WILL NEVER GET BACK ON AS LONG AS I HAVE A SAY SO IN THIS MATTER. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR OPENING MY EYES TO WHAT REALLY MATTERS, AND THAT IS THE CARE THAT CAN BE PROVIDED BY THIS RESCUE SQUAD. AND, YES, AS YOU SAID, THE TRUTH DOES HURT, NOW DOESN'T IT?
Now let us clarify a few facts in this thread. I, Patrick Sutton, am the “Capt.” and I am not afraid to be identified, and we (the members) of Pageland Rescue Squad will see that justice is done in a manner that is fair to all. The Squad as been under fire by members whom are afraid to advance for the good of the community. Some of the member’s have been removed from the unit for failure to follow the written bylaws of this squad, not for “coming forward with the truth regarding the financial fiasco the squad is currently involved in.” In short, the information regarding possible misuse of Squad funds was given straight to the Chesterfield County Administrator. As stated in Section 9 of the bylaws, “to protect the public against misconduct, any member may in good faith refer charges against any other member who is believed to have violated the principle of ethics or rules and regulations of the organization or who is believed to believed to be otherwise guilty of conduct justifying censor, suspension, or expulsion from the organization.”
It has been argued that this question of misconduct was not brought to the Pageland Rescue Squad Board because the person being accused was a member of the Board. It needs to be noted here that once the accusations against the now former captain were brought forth, the Board dealt with her in a manner that followed all bylaws of the Squad. To say that because it was feared the Board would not deal appropriately with the accusations at hand, the Board was overstepped in favor of the County Administrator is unfounded.
Now I would like to let the citizens of Pageland know why the four people asking for reinstatement are being met with resistance by current Squad members. In November 2003, I join the squad and was told within weeks of this that I was wasting my time because the squad would be gone in six months to a year. This information was given to me by one of the four people pushing to be reinstated. This person has been quoted as being “an asset to the Squad.” I ask, is this attitude conducive to the advancement of the Pageland Rescue Squad?
Another of the ones asking for reinstatement formerly held a position of power in the Squad. During his tenure, there were numerous requests for repairs and updates to existing equipment. These requests were repeatedly denied. One such piece of equipment was the Jaws of Life, used to cut people out of vehicles in the case of an accident. Once this person was no longer in power, the proper repairs were made and we now have the properly well-maintained equipment to serve the citizens of the Pageland community.
Finally, a third person asking for reinstatement has been found to have mislead Squad members during her time as an officer. It has been proven that paper work vital to the recertification of EMTs was not properly addressed. This almost cost the Squad two important members of our organization. The Squad is required to have a certain number of certified individuals. Without these individuals, we can be shut down by the state.
So, I hope that the citizens of Pageland can see from this information why there is such resistance to reinstatement of the four individuals in question. It is not just about the improper way that the accusations against our former captain were made. It is about the history of these individuals as well. At this time of restructuring and rebuilding, the Pageland Rescue Squad needs loyal and dedicated members who are willing to be involved, be proud to be part of a life-saving and vital organization, and who bring a positive attitude to the community. I invite any such people wishing to join Pageland Rescue Squad to come forth. We will be glad to welcome you.
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