 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
911 calls not only concern for volunteers
Organizational conflicts, funding problems and low retention rates cause major headaches for squads across the area
By J. Elliott Walker
Ricky Rowsey has been with the Buena Vista Fire Department since 1982. He responded when the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house caught fire in Lexington in 1984 and when the Lexington Presbyterian Church went up in flames in 2000. But those incidents don't come close to the worst call he ever responded to.
 |
It was a fatal automobile accident on Interstate 81. The victim was his 17-year-old daughter.
Rowsey said he had a "bad feeling" about the call when it came in, but knew he had to respond. He and his son, also a volunteer fire fighter, raced to the scene, only to have their worst fear become a reality.
Like hundreds of other fire and rescue workers in Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County, Rowsey is a volunteer. Without him and others like him, area residents would have no one to save them from fire, accidental injury or natural disaster. But their efforts are often hampered by no central organization, too little money, and too few others willing to help.
Let's get together
City, fire squad tangle over control of funding |
Unlike most area fire departments, the Lexington volunteers don't have to worry about fundraising. "The city has said, 'we want you fighting fires, not running carnivals," said City Councilman Frank Friedman. Even though the city relieves the department of the need to raise money, firefighters are still reluctant to give up the checkbooks, fearing that that would lead to a loss of their autonomy. After a critical audit prompted the city to take control of the separate Lexington Lifesaving Crew, the city asked the fire department to hand over control of its funding as well. Initially, Friedman said, the department agreed. But when it came time to sign the paperwork, the department refused, worried that the city might dictate how all of the money was spent. After negotiations broke down, the city sued the department for control of the checking accounts. Lexington Fire Chief David Clark did not return four calls requesting comment. The department hired Harry Brown, a Roanoke lawyer, to defend itself. Brown, whom the department already owes $12,000 in legal fees, is arguing that the department is an independent organization and not an agency of the city. Friedman disagrees. "The city has been trying to formalize that the department is an agency within the city of Lexington," Friedman said. "For all practical purposes it has been for years. The question at hand is accountability for the financials." Unlike the Kerrs Creek or Effinger volunteer fire departments, the Lexington department is not a 501(c)(3) organization under federal tax laws. That means the department doesn't have to file tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Friedman said he doesn't think money is being stolen or spent inappropriately by the department. He just thinks the city can do a better job helping the department plan for major expenses, like the $1 million ladder truck that the city will need to buy in about 10 years. "The fire department is doing a terrific job and they're very capable and professional, but to me it comes down to the money," Friedman said. "City Council should have ultimate responsibility for the budgeting and how the money is spent." |
An independent consultant last year recommended that area fire and rescue services consolidate under one director of emergency services who would lead a commission of heads of the separate fire and rescue squads. But the Rockbridge area maintains 17 separate, all-but-autonomous squads, all but one staffed entirely by volunteers. The area has no single director of emergency services to coordinate disaster planning.
For now, there has been no serious move to act on any of the consultant's recommendations.
As a result, there are no across-the-board protocols for the departments, which can lead to confusion if more than one department has to respond to an emergency. In that case, the first responding team calls the shots, and other responders have to follow what are often unfamiliar procedures.
Relying heavily on volunteers can also mean longer waits for people who need help. The county's rescue squads average a 20-minute response time, but because most volunteers work, it could take much longer for help to arrive during the day. And EMS calls during the day are especially hard on responders. It can take up to an hour and a half from start to finish by the time volunteers can get to the station, care for and transport the patient, and get the ambulance back. That adds up to a long time away from their paying jobs.
"We have to come together," said Robert Foresman, coordinator of emergency management for Rockbridge County. "We have to look at doing [this] from a regional standpoint so that we can better utilize our resources."
The City of Lexington may be on the way to overseeing both of its departments. Finances for the city's lifesaving crew are already handled by the city, and now city council members are pushing for control of the fire department.
Council member and Vice Mayor Tim Golden said the city doesn't want to take over the day-to-day operations of the fire department, but handling the department's finances would certainly help the volunteers.
"It would relieve [volunteers] of the burden of a lot of paperwork and force them, to a degree, with the city's help, to do some long range planning."
Golden said he did not think Lexington's actions would affect centralization recommendations made by the consultant last year. Having the city control both the rescue squad and fire station would allow standardization and make sure "everyone understands exactly what is expected."
Five years ago, neighboring Amherst County realized the negative consequences of having no standard operating procedures. The county centralized its fire and rescue services, a move that the county's public safety director said has made services more efficient and citizens safer.
The change came about, Director of Public Safety Gary Roakes said, after county officials realized "we can't run fire and EMS agencies today like we did 20 years ago."
Under the system, each of Amherst's squads has maintained its autonomy, but each station is organized the same way. Paperwork, things like insurance and workers compensation, and coordinated training efforts are handled by Roakes' office, a cost-saving move that also alleviates work for chiefs and captains.
"If we can do business and maintain their individuality, but at the same token bring everyone together so we are speaking as one, it allows us to deliver better service," he said.
The consultant's recommended changes for Rockbridge County's fire and rescue services have met a mixed reaction, partly because each department feels so strongly about maintaining its own independence. Buena Vista Fire Chief Tommy Keiser said he thinks the idea of central organization has its pros and cons.
"It would be a good thing in a sense that it would be way more organized, [the] responses and stuff," he said. "But you're going to have a lot of fire and rescue departments that are going to not necessarily like the way that that's done."
Keiser thinks the system will work well if it ever gets off the ground. But Foresman did not know when a committee would even be formed to discuss the transition.
Albert "Buster" Lewis, who represents Walkers Creek on the county Board of Supervisors, has taken the issue under his wing. Lewis wants to review the consultant's suggestions, but thinks creating a centralized system and employing more paid workers would be a good thing.
Paid workers needed
Amherst County also began using paid personnel to supplement volunteers. The 11 career rescue workers in the county work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m and leave the night shifts to the volunteers.
Roakes said having paid employees during the day has really made a difference in the level of service the rescue squads can provide. The county started by employing paid workers Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. only, but he said getting a response outside of those times was often "hit or miss." Now paid workers are on duty at all times, and Roakes said he is pleased with the consequences.
"With the system, for the most part, citizens are guaranteed a response and most times a quicker response," he said.
The city of Lexington is the only rescue squad in the Rockbridge area that has paid workers during the day. The city started employing rescue workers nearly four years ago. Lexington Lifesaving Crew Captain Shane Watts said the volunteers may have been a bit reluctant at first to accept paid workers, but the system has benefited the county as well as the city.
The paid workers often respond to calls outside Lexington, helping relieve some of the pressures on county volunteers during the day.
"I'd like to think we saved a few more lives," he said.
Foresman said he realizes daytime response times are an issue, and the impetus for paid workers in the county is there. Glasgow Rescue Squad Captain Robert Hickman said one of the biggest threats facing his and other departments is "the lack of volunteers during the daylight hours."
Nearly two years ago, Hickman and his fellow volunteers sent a letter to the county supervisors alerting them to the shortage of volunteers during the day, but did not formally ask the board for paid workers.
Although he said some squads in the county have asked for paid people directly, "we kind of feel like it [is] up to them to deal with it."
The South River Fire Department recently asked the Board of Supervisors for two paid workers. The supervisors want to wait on the proposal until they know which of the consultant's recommendations the county will adopt.
In Buena Vista, Keiser said if it were up to him his city would hire some paid workers.
"It's just so many calls that go off all the time," he said. "If you could have paid personnel everywhere…it'd be great for the community. The only thing you can do to lead to better response time is to put paid people in the department."
Some volunteers may be wary of the idea, but most understand the impact having paid personnel would have for the area.
"It would be a good thing," said Chris Daniels, a volunteer for the South River Fire Department. "That way the community knows … you're always going to have someone there when they [call] you and when they need you."
Fundraising woes
The biggest threat to good fire and rescue service in the county could continue to be the challenge of building and maintaining the volunteer corps.
"We take all the help we can get," said Joseph Bahaur, a new volunteer for South River.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs estimates that the tenure of volunteer firefighters averages about four years. In 1984, the association estimated there were approximately 880,000 volunteer fire fighters across the nation, but the number dropped by 10 percent, to 790,000, in 2004.
Volunteerism has also dropped off in Rockbridge County. Fewer volunteers, coupled with an increase in call volume, means those who do volunteer are doing more work than ever. Keiser said volunteers also spend countless hours fundraising and doing odd jobs around the station in addition to responding to calls, which can quickly lead to burnout.
"A lot of [why people leave] is fundraising," he said. "A lot of it is too much pressure on trying to raise funds and everything."
Hickman said he strives to keep his volunteers happy by trying to alleviate some of the extra pressures. The Glasgow squad has auxiliary members who do nothing but fundraising for the station. He said the squad members do some sort of activity to raise money almost every weekend this time of year, and the auxiliary members do something at least every two months.
"Without them," he said, "we would be lost."
The consultant's report also recommended ways to recruit and retain volunteers more effectively, including having a volunteer appreciation day and recruiting new members at area high schools. So far, none of those recommendations has been adopted.
"We're thinking about it," Foresman said.
For Lexington's Rescue Squad, the problem of keeping their team together has been more difficult than ever following an audit of former Captain Cole Montgomery in November. Montgomery was accused of misspending funds and purchasing equipment without the squad's consent. City officials decided the audit did not turn up enough evidence to seek prosecution of Montgomery, but the dissession within the squad has caused tension between members and more than one resignation.
Despite the problems, the volunteer forces in the area love being able to serve their communities.
"It's a great opportunity," said South River's Daniels. "It's a great life experience …. I mean, it'll take you places."
See where the local fire stations and resque squads are located