THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 8, 1994 TAG: 9409080533
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MOYOCK LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Currituck County has come to the rescue and taken over the Moyock area's emergency medical services, which has suffered recently from a manpower shortage.
The county Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed Tuesday to assume responsibility for the Moyock Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad Inc. on Nov. 1.
``Essentially, the county has agreed to become the provider of emergency medical services in the service area of Moyock Township,'' County Manager Bill Richardson said during a break in the regular board meeting.
Moyock Fire & Rescue will provide services this fiscal year for $100,560. An additional $103,000 set aside for a countywide volunteer incentive program will instead be used to hire four paramedics.
Three new rescue squad workers will join the three full-time paramedics currently stationed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays in Moyock. This should provide the area with 24-hour service at the highest lifesaving level.
Also hired will be a supervisor to work among all the commands and assist with scheduling and training at the county's communications center.
A recent shortage of highly trained volunteers at the northern Currituck County rescue squad prompted a 90-day ``stand-down,'' where services dropped to the very basic level July 1.
``What they realized during the stand-down is that they did not have enough people to operate even at the basic care level,'' said Donnie Beacham, director of Currituck's Emergency Management System & Communications, on Wednesday.
So rescue workers approached the county about taking over and providing more paid paramedics to improve the quality and quantity of service.
Each of the county's four fire and rescue stations have three full-time paid paramedics who alternate during weekdays. Volunteers then work during the evenings, weekends and holidays.
Officials said they still plan to actively recruit volunteer emergency medical technicians in Moyock and elsewhere. But at Tuesday's meeting Commissioner Jerry Wright spoke about diminished incentives.
``In many cases, the policies we have set have actually discouraged volunteerism rather than raise it,'' he said.
Beacham said Wednesday that it is increasingly difficult to find highly qualified volunteers because of the time required for certification.
``It's been an ongoing problem. These volunteer organizations are very strong, but it takes a special person to get involved and commit a lot of hours,'' Beacham said.
It usually takes three years or more for emergency medical technicians to advance from the basic skills level to paramedic - the highest post, he said.
Wright said he also worried about the impact on Currituck's other rescue squads.
``I hope that it does not cause problems in the other departments,'' he said. by CNB