With Social Security and health care benefits commanding so much of the federal budget, the phrase "entitlement spending" will be a prime issue heading into next year's presidential election.

Many see our emergency service protections police, fire/rescue and ambulance as a "self-evident" entitlement for all Americans under our Constitution.This week, however, a lawyer representing Luzerne County in a wrongful death lawsuit filed over a 911 dispatching error, disputed that belief.Attorney David Heisler asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that residents do not have a constitutional right to emergency services.The case involves the estate of Michelle Dzoch, who died in a fire in Mocanaqua.Since she was disabled, the 52-year old woman had her daughter call 911 to report the fire.Her attorney, Bill Anzalone, said the emergency call center operator failed to carry out appropriate rules and procedures, ranging from follow-up emergency calls to letting firefighters go to the wrong address.He alleged a "state-created danger" due to the failures of the 911 operator, amounting to a "willful disregard" for Dzoch's safety.Defense attorney David Heisler argued that the danger in this case was the fire, something the state did not create, and that residents are not entitled to emergency services.With 96 percent of the nation covered by some type of 911, dialing the three-digit number is the most familiar and effective way Americans have of finding help during an emergency.Unfortunately, since services are funded and operated separately, whenever city or municipal budgets get trimmed, the manpower as well as emergency response times can suffer.Before America entered World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech outlining the "four freedoms" of a democratic society freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.Including the last two freedom from want and fear went beyond the traditional Constitutional values protected under the U.S. Bill of Rights.Michelle Dzoch, who perished in that Luzerne County fire, certainly qualified for protection under freedom from want and fear during her tragic death.It's hard to imagine anything more fearful than being trapped in a burning home and not being unable to escape because of a disability.Secondly, her freedom from want, which translated to a desperate need for immediate emergency assistance, was never provided to her during her final agonizing moments of earth.By JIM ZBICKtneditor@tnonline.com