Ruppersberger Asks Army to Reconsider Decision to Cut EMS Service at Fort Meade

Washington, DC - Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) and Congressman Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) are asking the Army to reconsider its decision to cut EMS Service at Fort Meade, the home of military families and government agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA), the Defense Security Service (DSS), and several Guard and Reserve Units.

Congressman Ruppersberger and Congressman Cardin sent a joint letter today asking the Acting Secretary of Defense Les Brownlee not to reduce EMS Service. "Continued EMS service for Ft. Meade and NSA is vital to the operations of these installations. It is unacceptable to have vital national security personnel at risk because of a delay in getting EMS service to the base... We need to enhance the resources available to our rescue personnel, not eliminate or diminish them... Anne Arundel County cannot be expected to assume the responsibility being abandoned by the U.S. Army," read the letter.

On April 5, 2004, the Army plans to reduce EMS service to Monday through Friday from 6 am to 9 pm with no coverage on holidays. Right now EMS Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During off hours, those who live and work at Ft. Meade will have to rely on emergency services from the EMS unit in Jessup. The trip to the base could take more than 15 minutes and response times could be longer if there is a security alert.

"In the post 9-11 world that we live in, it is critically important that we give our first responders the resources they need to keep us safe. This is not the time to be cutting funding and slashing EMS Service at Fort Meade and the National Security Agency that plays a unique role in the global war on terrorism. The employees at NSA and Fort Meade deserve better. It is also unfair to force Anne Arundel County to pick up the bill because the Army has decided to reduce these services," said Congressman Ruppersberger (D-MD), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

"This is the time we should be increasing first responder capabilities at important federal facilities, not reducing them," said Congressman Cardin (D-MD). He pointed out that since Sept. 11, the Administration has pledged to provide more support for first responders and homeland security. "This decision contradicts that pledge and the intent of Congress in appropriating more money for first responders and homeland security."

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