Rescue squad to discontinue paid staff due to lack of funding

One of the busiest rescue squads in Patrick County may revert to an all-volunteer squad – or even shutter completely – on June 1 unless it receives additional revenue.

Reverting to an all-volunteer squad “would mean extremely limited coverage. That is not good,” said Derek Wagner, captain of the Jeb Stuart Rescue Squad.

He added that the district spans 160 square-miles and includes several population centers, from the Patrick/Henry county line on U.S. 58 to the Patrick Henry Volunteer Fire Department, the communities of Moorefield Store, Dobyns, the Town of Stuart as well as the area beyond Howell’s Grocery (to the first truck escape ramp), the Central Academy area and others.

Patrick County High School, Hardin Reynolds Memorial, and two elementary schools – Stuart and Patrick Springs – are included in the district, as is the sheriff’s office and jail, two nursing homes, and several businesses. Additionally, the squad responds to calls in other districts as needed and when it can, he said. 

“We do a very good job managing it for the staff and volunteers we have,” Wagner said and added there are six or seven volunteers who regularly respond to calls.  

Last year, Wagner said the squad responded to 1,208 calls – more than any other in the county.

Even the backup service that the county provided to help other rescue crews, known as Station 8, responded to 889 calls in the same time frame, Wagner said county records show. 

“We covered 1,180 calls in our coverage area and 28 mutual aid calls,” he said county records indicate.

In 2015-16, the squad undertook a renovation/remodel project that was needed because of the weight of its vehicles, Wagner said. November will mark 7 years it has relied on paid staff, which means it bills patient insurance companies for services it provides – as do many others in the area.

The squad files an audit annually with the county to receive the same amount ($16,075) of local funding that other, less active squads receive, Wagner said. For comparison, he said the CCDF volunteer squad responded to 90 calls last year “but received the same amount of money.” 

The squad’s revenues last year totaled $446,060.23; its expenses were $439,046.83, plus any unpaid current bills, he said. 

Currently, Wagner said the squad is operating with a $40,000 to $50,000 deficit. 

Several of its employees were furloughed April 1, with plans to furlough additional personnel between now and June 1.

Members have held monthly community breakfasts to try and raise funds, which helps but isn’t enough. Additionally, “we get calls that we have to respond to in the middle of breakfasts,” Wagner said, adding the squad also planned to use direct mailing to solicit funds in 2021.

To do that, he said a flyer from an event held the year before was required, but “because of COVID, we hadn’t had any events” and therefore, didn’t qualify to solicit donations by mail. 

Seemingly out of options, Wagner said the squad “requested $100,000 per year from the county, or $25,000 per quarter to help offset operational costs.”

Essentially, “we asked them in January to fund us so we can keep doing what we do,” Wagner said. “Now, we’re going into May with no answers” and nothing settled, which is surprising because last year, several squad members were recognized by the county for helping to save a woman’s life. County Administrator Beth Simms said, “Patrick County is working with JEB Stuart Rescue on a solution.” 

The squad was founded as a nonprofit agency and began operating in June 1980, he said.

“This is our 44th year, and we want to continue to serve,” said Wagner, who hopes the county and the community will help. All options are on the table, and the squad is pursuing additional remedies.

Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 340, Patrick Springs, Va., 24133, or 1258 American Legion Road, Stuart, Va. 24171.

For more information, Wagner can be reached at (276) 692-6640.