THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994 TAG: 9408190803
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA McNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ISLE OF WIGHT LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
The Windsor Volunteer Rescue Squad won't be getting money for a new ambulance from the Board of Supervisors until the squad's executive board meets with the supervisors to discuss how it is handling its finances.
The supervisors' unanimous decision came after a brief executive session Thursday to discuss the matter with the county attorney and after months of squabbling by the town and the squad over where the ambulance should be purchased.
Squad members voted 8-7 last week to buy from an out-of-state dealer at a price higher than the vehicle could be bought from an ambulance builder located in the heart of Windsor.
``We're concerned about the finances of the squad, and we think we've got to get our heads together,'' Board of Supervisors Chairman O.A. Spady said.
The rescue squad is funded primarily by the county and by private donations. Residents who have continued to urge the squad to ``buy local'' have threatened to discontinue their support.
Windsor Mayor Robert C. Claud, accompanied at the meeting by four members of his seven-member council, made an emotional appeal to the supervisors to get involved in the debate. Claud told the board that the Town Council is concerned that the conflict within the squad may be affecting its performance.
``The attitude of some of the leadership in the squad, in our opinion, is, `We don't need anyone; you need us; and we don't have to listen to town or county suggestions or recommendations,' '' Claud said.
Bob Goode, a member of the squad, disagreed. Despite the controversy, he said, the squad is still working well together and answering all calls. He said that the decision to buy the ambulance from an out-of-state firm was made because the local builder, Robinson Ambulance, does not meet certain manufacturer and federal guidelines for building ambulances and is not ``sanctioned by the state.''
Tommy Robinson, co-owner of the local company, has said Robinson Ambulance is too small to meet those guidelines, which are not mandatory.
He said earlier Thursday that his company is not on a list of state contract bidders because he can't handle the volume that could be required. The company has built ambulances for emergency services organizations throughout Hampton Roads since 1978.
Spady said he, Supervisor Phillip Bradshaw - a member of the rescue squad's citizens' advisory committee - the county attorney and finance director will meet with the squad's executive board within the week.
In another matter Thursday, the board handed over to the Planning Commission residents' complaints about two proposed, mass-producing hog operations. Spady said the commission would look at amending the county's existing ordinance, which allows such farms in areas zoned for agriculture. by CNB