.jpg)
Three additional emergency services responders would be hired this spring under a proposal presented to the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 9 by Nathan Ramsey, the county’s fire and rescue services chief.
The proposal is being reviewed by the supervisors’ finance committee and will be considered by the full board at its next regular meeting this Monday, Jan. 23. The plan calls the new paid staff to be hired by March 1 and to start answering calls by April 1.
“While continuously tracking data and monitoring response activity for both day and night-time responses, staff identified some gaps in our [Emergency Medical Services] responses that require a change to our current EMS system in order to continue providing efficient, effective responses and patient care,” Ramsey reported to the supervisors.
The scrutiny of response rates and the proposal to hire additional paid staff were prompted by a discussion at the Nov. 28 supervisors’ meeting about a high failure to respond rate in the fall for nighttime rescue squad calls in Glasgow. Since then, the Glasgow Rescue Squad, with assistance from the Glasgow Fire Department, has answered nearly all of the nighttime calls.
Ramsey said he was encouraged by this improvement, but, because this isn’t the first time this has been an issue in Glasgow and because other departments in the county are having similar issues, he put together a plan to hire three new full-time responders.
Under this proposal, the Kerrs Creek Fire Department would have paid staff around the clock while a nighttime crew would be housed at the 911 dispatching center (former Lomax Funeral Home) on U.S. 60 in Buena Vista. Paid crews would therefore be at the Glasgow and Fairfield rescue squad buildings during daytime hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), at the Kerrs Creek Firehouse 24 hours and at the 911 dispatching center during nighttime hours (6 p.m. to 6 a.m.).
Ramsey explained that adjustments could be made to where the new responders are assigned, depending upon future response rates at the county’s different departments. If a department knows in advance that volunteers are going to have to miss certain shifts, paid crews can be assigned accordingly. Volunteers are currently covering most night-time shifts.
The new crew members will go wherever they’re needed, including responding to interstate accidents, said Ramsey. “We’ll continue to monitor the data for Glasgow responses. If that exceeds 15 percent, they’ll go the south end [of the county].”
“I don’t want them waiting [to provide backup]; I want them answering calls,” said Natural Bridge Supervisor David McDaniel. “I can assure you, they’ll have plenty to do,” responded Ramsey.
“I’m glad for the flexibility [of the plan],” said Walkers Creek Supervisor Jay Lewis, who noted that the Goshen Rescue Squad had donated an ambulance to the county that can be utilized by the new crews.
“It’s an elegant solution,” said Buffalo Ssupervisor Leslie Ayers. “We certainly have money in the reserves [to pay for the additional staff].”
The cost to the county to hire three new responders for the final three months of the current fiscal year (April 1 to July 31) would be $69,950. A full year of this additional staffing would have a price tag of $175,599. There will be additional one-time costs for uniforms, equipment, bunking furniture, cooking appliances and an outside storage building at the 911 center.
