Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 17, 1995 TAG: 9506200030
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH HUNTLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Chief Tommy Fuqua told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that he plans to form a comprehensive team that will be charged with figuring out how to implement a series of proposed changes.
"We'll be looking at the recommendations of the ad hoc committee and seeing how we can best incorporate them into our operating structure," Fuqua said.
Roanoke County's emergency squads are staffed by a partnership of career and volunteer crew members. On weekdays, paid firefighter/medics staff six of the county's 11 firehouses. On evenings, weekends and major holidays, volunteers take over. In some cases, volunteers supplement paid personnel during the day.
A committee spent the past year studying the workings of the department and concluded that a number of changes would help county crews provide better service to residents.
A report last month by the Roanoke Times & World-News showed that some stations are having problems recruiting enough volunteers to keep stations sufficiently staffed.
On March 14, a 61-year-old Roanoke County woman died after it took 38 minutes for a rescue crew to arrive at her home. There were no volunteers at Fort Lewis, the station nearest her home, so a Salem ambulance had to be dispatched.
The committee's recommendations include setting a two-minute reaction time goal, developing a quality-assurance team that would monitor issues relating to level of service, providing sleep-in facilities at all stations, and hiring additional part-time personnel to assist with staffing.
The committee also suggested establishing a cutoff system: If volunteers fail to meet goals for two years, the committee recommends placing career staff in the station as primary responders and supplementing coverage with volunteers.
The proposals are not without cost or controversy, but a few supervisors expressed concern that the planning process is moving too slowly.
"You had this ad hoc committee working all this time to come up with the report of recommendations, and now you are saying we need another committee to implement the report," Supervisor Lee Eddy told Fuqua. "I don't understand that."
Supervisor Ed Kohinke shared Eddy's frustrations.
"We have studied this thing to death. Now it's time to do something about it," he said.
Fuqua argued, however, that it is essential to solicit input from the parties involved. His strategic planning team will consist of volunteer crew members, paid firefighter/medics and departmental staff.
"Our people have to buy into the process," he said, adding that he hopes to have an update for the board within 90 days.
The board also reiterated its commitment Tuesday to setting aside more than $200,000 annually for emergency equipment starting next year, when the county's contributions to Roanoke Regional Airport come to an end. The money will be used to maintain the fire trucks and ambulances.
But Supervisor Harry Nickens noted that addressing staffing problems will take more than money and vehicles.
"The rolling-stock issue is the easiest in the reports to deal with," he said. "But that's equipment, and the problem is not equipment, fellas. It's people. We can't just say do it. We need leadership finesse. That's the only way we can pull this off."
by CNB