Resident alarmed at loss of volunteer fire and ambulance service
Jefferson County has a proud history of volunteer fire and ambulance service. In recent years, a growing population and a declining number of volunteers have made it necessary to hire more professional firefighters and EMTs. I have been dismayed by the Jefferson County Commission’s chaotic mismanagement of the transition, from a volunteer to a hybrid volunteer-professional ambulance service.
The commission began the transition process, by offending the volunteer fire departments, by not including them in the early planning stages. The commission then set a March 1 deadline for the changeover to begin, before devising a workable concrete plan that can be explained to the public. This incompetence has alarmed county residents, who worry about the future of this vital service.
Recently, I asked Dale Manuel, candidate for the Jefferson County Commission, about the ambulance service. He said he would have started the process by convening the volunteer groups, together with the commission and emergency services, to plan a way forward. Also, he would make it as easy as possible for citizens to participate, with this and other issues. Manuel, who previously served two terms as a commissioner, was known for his intelligent and common sense approach to solving the county’s problems. He certainly has a better way of addressing this issue.
If we can elect Manuel to the commission for another term, it is not too late to undo this ambulance service fiasco.
Rosella Kern, of Charles Town