Leaders from various departments around the county converse on a plan of action before entering a public hearing of the Jefferson County Commission. Pictured, from left, are Shepherdstown EMS Chief Marshall DeMeritt, President Ed Smith, with Independent Fire Company, Chief Earl Cogle, with Blue Ridge Mountain Fire Department, Adam Watson, chief of Independent Fire Company, Ross Morgan, chief of Shepherdstown, and Mike Mood, chief of Middleway Fire Company. Toni Milbourne

CHARLES TOWN — Chiefs of four of Jefferson County’s seven fire departments turned out with many of their members Thursday in a show of solidarity in opposition to the potential adoption of a study completed for the Jefferson County Commission by Fitch & Associates.

The study was done to determine possible ways to most efficiently offer emergency medical services in the county. The Fitch study offered proposals that included three options, including a 10-minute model and two 15-minute models. The proposals called for reducing the number of EMS locations and removing them from the current fire departments.

The 10-minute proposal called for eight EMS locations around the county, while one of the 15-minute proposals recommended four geographic locations throughout the county for EMS services. The second 15-minute proposal also called for four locations but also included two to cover historical demand, for a total of six units.

Members of the county’s fire and rescue departments find the proposals made by Fitch & Associates and up for a potential decision before the county commission as “dangerous.”

EMS Chief Marshall DeMeritt, with Shepherdstown Fire Department, was one of the chiefs to speak before the commission during the public hearing. He was joined by Chief Adam Watson, with Independent Fire Company, Earl Cogle, with Blue Ridge Mountain Fire Company, Mike Mood, with Middleway Fire Department, as well as EMS volunteers and members of the general public to voice opposition to the Fitch study.

First responders made a statement at last week’s Jefferson County Commission meeting, by lining the streets with emergency vehicles to gain the public’s attention. Toni Milbourne

“What is efficient to you is really cheap,” DeMeritt told commissioners. “This would move the county back 20 years.”

Watson, a lifelong resident of Jefferson County, spoke as a volunteer, as well as a citizen.

“I have gone through this study many times and have yet to understand how we could potentially reduce EMS response,” Watson told commissioners. “The models that are presented here have a longer response due to reducing the number of ambulances available and reducing the locations.”

Watson used his family’s home as an example, saying that currently, there is a seven-minute response time from Independent Fire Company to his home in Locust Hill.

“With any of these models, my family and I will have to wait 10 to 11 minutes coming from another station. Please explain to my family why any of their lives is less important to potentially save a dollar,” Watson implored.

He added that others in the outer reaches of the county would have to wait significantly longer if the Fitch plan was put into practice.

Shepherdstown Chief Ross Morgan simply asked that the commissioners allow the volunteers have a voice at the table.

“This truly has more impact than a couple of dollars saved,” Morgan said.

Mood echoed the call for the commission to table the study and meet with those in the county who actually provide the service.

“Last year, our department lost staffing,” Mood said.

The commission, in 2021, removed paid EMS staff from both the Middleway and Bakerton departments, saying there was not enough call volume to warrant having paid staff in those locations.

“We have had to hire our own paid staff to make the calls,” Mood said. “We use some EMS funding and the rest we cover with bingo. Consolidation of services will put the community at risk.”

It was not only first responders who voiced concern over the adoption of any of the proposals from the Fitch study. Members of the community, spoke up as well.

Barbara Hartman, who joined the hearing online, said that she was very concerned about the possible reduction in ambulance service.

“These volunteers saved my son’s life,” Hartman told commissioners, adding that if it had taken longer for them to respond, her son may not have survived.

Alan Perdue, general counsel at Shepherd University, also joined in the online comment period.

“I listened to the Fitch presentation. Fitch didn’t talk about public health at all,” Perdue said, adding that “efficiency” was the main focus of the presentation by representatives of the company. “We hope you will refocus and work on better response times.”

Other concerns raised through the public hearing included the fear that by adopting any of the Fitch proposals, a wedge would be driven between paid EMS and volunteers — a wedge not there today, because the two groups work together to provide services to the county.

Following comments, commissioners immediately entered executive session on the advice of their legal counsel, Nathan Cochran. Following a brief session behind closed doors, the group came back and indicated that they would seek additional information from Fitch & Associates, including some potentially different models from which to choose.

The commissioners also voted to name Vice President Steve Stolipher as liaison to the fire companies in the county to open dialogue. Commissioner Clare Ath also volunteered to work toward further communication related to the study.

Commissioner Jane Tabb voiced her opinion that funding is always a challenge, and she is concerned that the county has no oversight of the funds given to the volunteer companies.

“There is a lot of money going to private corporations,” Tabb said, referring to the individual fire companies. “The county needs to receive revenue from the ambulance calls.”

“I see no issue getting a third-party opinion. But I value your opinions here today, too,” Ath told the first responders.

Following the meeting, DeMeritt expressed that he was disheartened that the commission would not meet with the fire and rescue personnel as a whole but rather have a designated liaison. He also was adamant in saying that all finances of the companies are available, and accountability is not an issue, as was mentioned by Commissioner Tabb.

Watson saw the decision not to move forward with a vote on the study today as a possible first step.

“But if the commissioners really valued our opinions, they should have asked for them before spending $35,000 on a study,” Watson said.