ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, May 25, 1996 TAG: 9605280032
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
The Botetourt County rescue squads' volunteer recruitment drive hasn't yielded devastating results so far, but one squad captain calls them encouraging.
Since the drive began in March, with television, radio and print ads, as well as 13,000 brochures mailed out, 53 people have inquired about volunteering with the county's five rescue squads, according to figures provided by the assistant county administrator's office.
"I don't know if that looks good for 26,000 people in the county ... but the way we see it, that's not bad," said Penny Firestone, captain of the Troutville squad.
Firestone is keeping a close eye on the numbers. Though it has the fewest members of any crew in the county with 16, Firestone's squad responded to twice as many calls last year as any other squad.
Residents have begun to express concerns over whether Troutville and Botetourt County's other devoted but short-handed squads could continue to handle a growing call load without paid help. The county's population has exploded in recent years, especially in the southern end, but the number of rescue volunteers has not grown proportionately.
Firestone has had ten volunteer inquiries, four of which she believes are good prospects.
Even adding those four makes a huge difference in a squad like Troutville's, Firestone said.
"That means one more full crew during the day, or one more during the night. Or it means two more calls we can cover in a day."
The Buchanan squad has received the most inquiries at 18. Eagle Rock has the fewest at 2. Blue Ridge and Fincastle received 12 and 11 respectively.
Firestone is not ready to say whether the drive is enough of a success to put off hiring paid medics to supplement the volunteers.
"It's a little premature yet," she said. "But we've definitely had the calls coming in."
People interested in volunteering for one of the Botetourt rescue squads may call 473-8220.
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