What’s behind the rise in emergency medical calls?

Regarding the “EMS Squad handles rising medical calls in support role” article in the Rogue Valley Times: It reports that EMS calls are trending at a 5% annual increase, but does not provide the time span of this trend.

Earlier this year, I requested the EMS call data for Jackson County spanning 2018-22 from Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon after hearing that EMS calls handled by Ashland Fire & Rescue were “exploding” per AFD Chief Ralph Sartain.

The data show relatively modest increases in EMS calls from 2018-20 ranging from 1.75% in Jackson County, to 4% in Medford, to 1% in Ashland. EMS call data from 2021-2022 tells a different story with Jackson County seeing an 18.6% increase, Medford a 14.15% increase and Ashland a whooping 38.1% increase above 2020 numbers.

Why did EMS calls increase so dramatically in 2021 and 2022? Is anyone looking into the root causes? Did the trend over the last two years continue in 2023? Could the increase be related to the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccines in 2021?

Paul Mozina / Ashland

Release unjustly detained hostages and prisoners of war

Thank you, Morris Maizels, for your Guest Column. You spoke as a child of Holocaust survivors, calling on us to never forget the Holocaust and the scourge of antisemitism.

Your piece was also a powerful call to extend compassion for all the innocent victims of war — Israeli or Palestinian.

The four-day ceasefire has secured the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

From Western media we know about the humanity of the hostages, violently kidnapped on Oct. 7 during Hamas’s terrorist attack. Networks broadcast daily interviews with grieving hostage families and biographical sketches of hostages.

We know little about the 150 Palestinian prisoners that Israel has committed to release during the ceasefire. According to human rights attorney Diana Buttu, the 150 are chosen from a list of 300 prisoners — of whom 270 are under the age of 18, 230 have never been convicted, and four are under age of 14.

Palestinians are prosecuted in Israeli military court, even though Israelis living in the same area are tried in civil courts.

Teenage boys are commonly arrested for stone-throwing, which can carry a 20-year prison sentence. Many are held without charge in administrative detention, which can be extended indefinitely for years.

May the ceasefire be extended to secure the release of all hostages and prisoners unjustly detained, ensure aid to all hungry and injured civilians, and negotiate a just and lasting peace for all.

Brenda B. Gould / Ashland

Stop scaring children with global warming dangers

Governments and government-dependent scientists and industries make a wonderful case with many documented dangers of global warming, for those eager to believe them.

For many of us, we see those threats come and go.

It does not take a scientist to see that the degree of warming over the past 200 years has greatly benefited agriculture and the world’s civilizations. It just takes the sense to admit it.

Atmospheric concentration at one part in 3600 was a historic low that was far from heathy for plant growth. The present one part in 2400 is much better. The optimal level may be far more than one part in 1000. Cheers for CO2.

However the reader may disagree, would you admit to this: It is wrong to use and frighted children to advance your views.

Quit scaring the children.

Ira Edwards / Medford