Heidelberg urged to hire public health officer

It shouldn't matter what township or county you live in. It should be a standing LAW state wide about in home cleanliness. We live about a block from the Lebanon City line, and I swear we have the filthiest neighbors known to man.

I live in schaefferstown, you act like it is only here in schaefferstown guess what it is everywhere! I have many pets and my house is very clean.

Americans possess the inalienable right to be secure in their homes and to maintain them as they see fit.

I'm tired of the waste too Howard. Especially the waste of taxpayer dollars... like that new school you just rammed down our throats. Perhaps you could work as a volunteer health officer? You should have some free time now that your 30 year span as a school board member is ending.

i agree with howard, there should be some teeth in an ordinance that would curtail unsafe living conditions when they exist. However i dont think H burg needs to hire anyone.

Shewantzitt wrote:

Americans possess the inalienable right to be secure in their homes and to maintain them as they see fit.

Your right stops when the varmint and smell invade my space.

Got to be kidding wrote:

<quoted text>
Your right stops when the varmint and smell invade my space.

That is correct, but I believe we can resolve the few issues that arise without hiring a public health officer. I'm sick and tired of do good politicians who think the answer to every problem involves reaching into my wallet.

They could model the job description after Larry the Cable Guy, Health Inspector.

It's actually really simple, folks. You don’t "hire" anyone. There are two options. One, adopt the Property and Maintenance Code and our current code administrator can do the job; or Two, contract with the same folks who serves as a PHO for other Township in Lebanon County. In the overall scheme of budgets, the cost of this is very, very, very nominal. No one has any “rights” to create or become a public nuisance. You have the “right” to act in a “prudent” manner for the overall wellbeing of your fellow man. We have ordinances about burnings, barking dogs, abandoned vehicles bur none concerning “Public Health”. I’m not too sure we even have an ordinance concerning public eating establishments to ensure public safety. Our ambulance is “Professionally staffed with volunteers”. As such, we spend many hours getting certified, many more hours staying certified and have a huge commitment to constantly training to save lives. We are richly blessed to have a full contingent of emergency responders to provide EMS care to our area. We are there for you. We do not miss calls and are in service 24/7/365. However, our folks are becoming more and more concerned for personal safety in a crazy world. And, all of this is done by 100% volunteers. Because our only task is to save lives, we need to rely on others to provide a safe working environment for us to do same. Asking our township officials to do what many others townships do really isn’t out of place. The comment was made that if we are unsure of the conditions in a residence, don’t go. Well, we don’t operate that way. Yes we have many levels of criteria we utilize for scene safety, but “not going” isn’t one of them. As I said, unless we get fully “de-con’ed” between the emergency call and our home, too often whatever contamination we have on us goes home with us. Our families are now at risk. When you have an emergency, you dial 911 and trust someone one will come to your rescue. All Schaefferstown Emergency Medical Services (SEMS) is saying – note, it’s not me personally asking for this – is to have the township enact ordinances to protect the wellbeing of the community, no matter who they may be. SEMS has been working with experts in this field to help formulate a plan. If someone has a better plan, we would be glad to hear about it. Remember this; taking care of “Number One” is top priority for us. That ambulance crew is “Number One”. Without this crew, the patient(s) have no chance to receive emergency care, thus it is vitally important the ambulance crew is fully protected. As Chief, I will take care of “Number One”.

Thanks for your service Chief, but you do realize you were quoted as saying "hire".

Howard Kramer Chief 160 wrote:

I’m not too sure we even have an ordinance concerning public eating establishments to ensure public safety.

i think the state handles that? No?

This issue goes far beyond a person’s right to live as they wish in their own home. What is being addressed here is a public safety matter. Specifically Howard is addressing the ambulance crew’s potential exposure to diseases upon entering a home. But beyond that what should concern all of us (and why we should support his effort) is that the occupants of such dwellings go out in public potentially carrying God only knows what kind of diseases. We could be standing next to them in line at the grocery store, bank, or have been the next person to use the restroom after them. And if you think a person that lives in a house full of animal feces, garbage, rodents, and bugs washes their hands before or after using the restroom you are sadly mistaken. Also, if you think these disturbing conditions are rare, talk to an EMT, fire fighter or police office and you’ll be horrified just how common it is.

But yet farmers are allowed to pollute us at will with laws giving them the right to.
Mr Kramer talks about pet feces in responding to an emergency call, but what aboutthe disease dumped every day from the dairy barns pig farms chicken and turkey farms. Our quality of water in Heidelberg shows catshit is the least of our problems.

In addition from an EMS workers standpoint, the safety (as Howard mentioned) is the number one concern of a crew. If we feel that the conditions are too filthy or disgusting to the point where it causes health concerns, we are under no obligation to enter that house. Is this a situation that you would want a friend or family member to endure as we wait for the Haz-Mat teams's response as well as the decon process that will follow before that person receives any medical care for that heart attack that may have killed them by now?

Paramedic wrote:

In addition from an EMS workers standpoint, the safety (as Howard mentioned) is the number one concern of a crew. If we feel that the conditions are too filthy or disgusting to the point where it causes health concerns, we are under no obligation to enter that house. Is this a situation that you would want a friend or family member to endure as we wait for the Haz-Mat teams's response as well as the decon process that will follow before that person receives any medical care for that heart attack that may have killed them by now?

If you have a "friend or family member" who lives in such a disgusting environment, I suggest you intervene now.

Wow. It's amazing how I didn't mention my friends or family. I was referring to these people that live in this environment. Just make sure your place is spot free when the stress these politicians cause you, lands you with a heart attack.

Seems to me that some people should worry about the "dirt" in their own houses before they stick their noses in to others.

If first responders encounter situations that are so horrific, then HazMat, etc should be contacted at the time of the encounter. These conditions are present in most communities, unfortunately, and it is part of the job.

Dealing with those conditions aren't part of the job. This is most likely being done so the process of hours of Haz-Mat doesn't have to be involved next time. When it presents an issue to those responding, it's time for their noses to be in the situation.

I guess Howard Kramer (Chief 160 / Owner of Vertex internet) isn't happy just breaking into email accounts at Vertex to read his constituents emails, now he want unwarranted search of their homes too. Nice.

A man with such nobel intentions....

Citizen wrote:

I guess Howard Kramer (Chief 160 / Owner of Vertex internet) isn't happy just breaking into email accounts at Vertex to read his constituents emails, now he want unwarranted search of their homes too. Nice.
A man with such nobel intentions....

if it bothers you that much, Yahoo and Gmail make great accounts.