All Aboard Florida Draws Fire From Medical Centers, First Responders

All Aboard Floridas plans to bring high-speed rail to Floridas east coast drew fire from medical providers, hospitals and first responders on Tuesday at a media event in Jupiter organized by Citizens Against Rail Expansion in Florida (CARE FL).

In a medical emergency, the time it takes to get to a hospital can be the difference between life and death, said John Couris, the president and CEO of Jupiter Medical Center. I urge All Aboard Florida to strongly reconsider the current plan for expansion. The Medical Center supports the growth of transportation in the state of Florida. However, I would encourage All Aboard Florida to go about this in a methodical and thoughtful manner, not at the expense of patient safety.

Couris noted that blocked train crossings will lead to longer ambulance trips.

Elected officials also piled on All Aboard Florida at the event, including U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla.

"One of my primary concerns with All Aboard Florida is the risk it poses to public safety -- and that includes the potentially lengthy wait times ambulances and first responders may endure due to increased rail traffic, Murphy said.

I firmly believe that the All Aboard Florida project will have a negative impact on our communities efforts to address the public safety needs of our residents, said Tequesta Mayor Abby Brennan. I have heard from many first responders and they all express the same concerns about how the additional trains will impact police and fire rescue personnel by hindering their ability to react, respond and render assistance at times when every second counts.

As I learned after suffering a stroke earlier this year, nothing should come between a patient and their ability to make it to a hospital, said state Rep. MaryLynn Magar, R-Tequesta. Expanding rail traffic near our hospitals will only create more barriers between first responders and emergency rooms, when every second counts and they are trying to save lives.