Like the song from the movie “Ghostbusters” asks, “Who ya gonna call?”

I hope Helen Price Johnson can count on calling Mr. Dave Hollett (Island County Director of Emergency Management) after the “big one” when there are no deputies available to respond to her 911 call for emergency, lifesaving assistance.

Along with the “plethora of courses” the Director of Emergency Management must take to keep his skills and credentials active, I hope they include emergency response to domestic violence situations, local shootings or other crime, highway safety issues and fatal automobile accidents.

I hope Ms. Johnson is not counting on help from the sheriff’s deputies when one of her immediate family is in imminent danger and needs a rapid response, because there may not be anyone available if her proposal to lay off deputies goes through.

In a countywide or statewide natural disaster, we Washingtonians will band together to assist whenever possible. If we have to choose between planning for a possible natural disaster every two decades or responding to a 911 call every two minutes, I think the choice is obvious. What does not seem so obvious to the voters is the one who should be recalled and laid off!

Sonny Starks

Oak Harbor