Jefferson County Commissioner Jane Tabb, Jefferson County administrator John Nissel, Jefferson County Emergency Services Agency Director Bob Burner and Citizens Fire Company President Ron Fletcher served as panelists, at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters last Wednesday evening. Toni Milbourne

CHARLES TOWN — The Jefferson County League of Women Voters hosted a forum last Wednesday evening, to help provide information to the public regarding the changes to the Jefferson County ambulance service.

The Jefferson County Commission has voted to take control of the ambulance service that is currently provided by members of the county’s seven volunteer fire departments. The commission has approved the purchase of 10 ambulances and has voted to spend American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant dollars to assist in hiring an additional 12 emergency medical personnel for the county.

The rollover from the volunteer system and the change from the Jefferson County Emergency Services Agency as a board-driven organization to a county department is scheduled to be complete by March 1.

The forum, moderated by Neal Barkus, allowed panelists to give a brief statement before questions from the moderator were posed. Following the moderator’s questions, additional questions were taken from the room, which was filled nearly to capacity. Panelists included Jefferson County Commissioner Jane Tabb, John Nissel, county administrator, Bob Burner, current director of the JCESA, and Ron Fletcher, president of Citizens Fire Company.

Tabb began the commentary, indicating she was speaking solely as an individual commissioner and not as a representative of the full governmental panel. Tabb explained that the county’s fire and emergency services have been built on 200 years of volunteer service, but as the county has grown, the model has been hard-pressed to meet the demand for service. She said the vast majority of ambulance calls are currently run by the staff paid by the county.

Nissel explained that in his seven months as county administrator, he has spent time reading the Fitch report, a study done for the county that led to the determination to eliminate volunteer ambulance service.

“This is not an easy project,” Nissel said, adding that the rollout of the project was assigned to him.

The task has now moved to Burner to handle much of the logistical planning, while Nissel has staff setting up financials in the county system to help with the transition.

“Nothing will look different on March 1,” Nissel said. “Services will continue, and we will make this as seamless as possible.”

“For me, it’s the cost,” Tabb responded when asked what her primary motivation was in moving toward a JCC-run ambulance service.

With the change, the county will receive all ambulance billing that currently goes to each individual department from which an ambulance is dispatched.

Fletcher explained that currently, Citizens Fire Company, at least, does not hard bill clients, meaning that if a resident cannot pay the full fee charged for ambulance transport, the department will work with them or even write off a portion of the fee.

“The county as a government agency will have to hard bill,” Fletcher said.

According to Nissel, the cost of the service as a county department will reach approximately $7 million per year. He also believes that with the current ambulance fee charged to county homeowners that brings in approximately $1 million per year, as well as funding already spent by the county on EMS services, the ambulance billing will more than cover costs of the county’s new service.

Many in the audience had concerns about the quality of service, the loss of service in some areas and how the change will or could affect patient care.

The county plans to lease space from four companies only: Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Department, Independent Fire Company in Ranson, Citizens Fire Company near Charles Town and Friendship Fire Department in Harpers Ferry. No ambulance will be located on the mountain at Blue Ridge or in Middleway.

Burner agreed that he also had some concerns, especially about the Middleway area. He did indicate that on the mountain, there is currently a lag time, as paid JCESA workers are staged at the public safety building located near Blue Ridge Elementary School and have to travel to the fire station to get the ambulance. The calls dispatched from Citizens Fire Company would be as quick or quicker, Burner indicated.

Questions on the future of volunteer service in the county were asked by several members of the audience, through Barkus’ moderator role.

“There has to be a role for the volunteers,” Burner said. “I don’t really know what it will look like.”

Additional questions centered on fire service in the county and who would own the fire departments.

“The fire departments are not selling our stations,” Fletcher assured the audience.

Nissel confirmed this statement.

“We have no desire to own a fire house. That is not a business we are in,” Nissel said, mentioning that Burner is looking at lease agreements with the four stations selected to hopefully house the county-owned ambulances.

A final question was asked about the county hiring a public relations firm, to help spread information about the county’s move toward ambulance service.

“It was my suggestion to hire a public relations firm,” Nissel said. “This is a very complicated process and transparency is key. It is our attempt to put the correct message out.”

Fletcher encouraged everyone to continue to ask questions and to stay informed.