Frustration led to heated exchanges after attempts to pass a resolution or motion to help local volunteer squads failed Monday during a meeting of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors.
Noting the county earmarked $350,000 to help the local EMS effort, Lock Boyce of the Mayo River District, recommended the county pay rescue squads $110 for every call covered.
He suggested allowing individual squads the flexibility to use the funds in whatever manner they chose, whether hiring career staff or offering stipends to volunteers to run calls.
Based on call volume in the county, Boyce, who also is vice chairman of the board, estimated that would cost $260,000, with the remaining $90,000 used for training.
“It’s not going to cost you anything to try it,” Boyce said to fellow board members. “We’ve got the funds appropriated. The squads will keep their soft-billing” proceeds and also use those to help pay volunteers/career staff. “This is so damned simple it defies logic not to do it. Pay the squads and give them the flexibility to do what they need to do.”
In a resolution, Roger Hayden, of the Dan River District, proposed giving squads $50 per call to be divided among the responders on each call.
“This token would help offset some of their expenses and show appreciation for their service,” Hayden said. He also proposed using volunteers to man a donated ambulance, and putting that vehicle in service for five days per week.
Hayden, who called his proposal a ‘Living Resolution,’ because the county can make changes as needed, said approval of the resolution would be “a good start in providing better emergency services” to residents.
Hayden later amended the resolution to the $110 per call.
Karl Weiss, of the Blue Ridge District, said he had concerns about accountability. “There’s been one rescue squad that had accounting problems, to put it mildly.” He did not elaborate.
Rickie Fulcher, of the Peters Creek District, said volunteers have told him “money is not going to help” when volunteers do not have time to run calls. He said the issue is time, not money.
“Time is money,” Boyce said, and added the county cannot afford a paid service. Additionally, “when you get it, you’re going to lose volunteers. You’re going to destroy a system that actually does work.”
Fulcher also said he thought the county should have the soft billing proceeds from local squads to help offset the county’s investment.
Noting his previous experience in running calls as a volunteer, Boyce said “It’s devastating to me that people who don’t understand wind up making the decisions.”
Board chairman Crystal Harris, who also serves as a volunteer squad member, said volunteers in local fire departments “work just as hard” as their counterparts in rescue. “I do not distinguish between fire and rescue” volunteers, she said.
“Jesus! For God’s sake, we’ve got the money, we’ve got the people, we’ve got the training” and funds earmarked to pay, Boyce said. “We can’t afford to do anything different right now.”
Votes on the resolution/proposal were 3-to-2, with Harris, Fulcher and Weiss among those in the majority.
“It’s very disappointing my resolution did not pass,” Hayden said after the meeting.
*In other matters, the board approved hiring Jeanette Filpi, former hospital administrator, and paying her for not more than 16 hours per week.
