What's Going On: Des Moines Register held accountable for state’s shortcomings

 Don’t kill the messenger.

Remember those four words. They are important to this column.

According to records provided and compiled by the state, Montgomery County has the slowest response rate to emergencies in all of Iowa.

The Des Moines Register reported this fact a couple weeks ago and the response hasn’t exactly been positive here locally.

The article has been referred to as misleading due to the suspect nature of the data provided.

Unfortunately, the state doesn’t require all 99 counties to submit response time averages. In fact, less than half (48) actually do and of those 48, Montgomery County is the worst.

Worse yet though, there are no operating standards for how that response time is calculated. Some counties measure the time between when the call comes into the dispatch center and when an ambulance leaves the building. Others measure from when the call comes in and when someone, be it a first responder or EMT or ambulance personnel, arrive on scene.

Montgomery County on the other hand measures the amount of time from when the call comes in to when the ambulance actually arrives on scene.

That just so happens to be the method of measurement that would take the longest.

Had the Des Moines Registers not mentioned all these variables, I would agree and join in the criticism. But the reporter did include this information, in fact, right after he mentioned Montgomery County had the worst time in the state, or at least among the half of the state required to report times.

That is responsible reporting placing the data in its proper context.

What really has raised the ire of Red Oak and Montgomery County officials is actually the message, even if they don’t realize it.

They don’t want to be the ones in charge of the slowest responding and as such, most incompetent emergency response system in Iowa.

However, their ire shouldn’t be directed at the Des Moines Register.

It should be directed at Mark Costello and Cecil Dolecheck.

For those who don’t know, those two gentlemen represent portions of Montgomery County in the Iowa House of Representatives. As such, they have the ability to introduce legislation that would give Montgomery County and the rest of the state a chance to compare apples to apples.

Right now, comparing Montgomery County’s response time to anyone else is the equivalent of comparing apples to pineapples. They are both members of the fruit family, but that’s where the similarities end.

Its imperative the state compile, analyze and review response times. But it’s also important everyone uses the same standards to measure those times so apples can be compared to apples.

Costello and Dolecheck can make sure that happens. Until they do, don’t blame the Des Moines Register for reporting the facts.

Save your ire for those who control what those facts say.

Gregory Orear is the General Manager/Editor of the Red Oak Express and Glenwood Opinion-Tribune. He can be contacted at publisher@redoakexpress.com.