Pedlar to get emergency medical responder

By Justin Faulconer

Published: October 29, 2008

Amherst County officials have approved a new staff position that would give the Pedlar Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad three additional full-time employees in an effort to speed response time to emergencies.

The new emergency medical service technician post would cost $60,000 from Jan. 1 to June 30 of next year, said County Administrator Rodney Taylor. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Oct. 21 to fund it.

Chairman Vernon Wood said the money would meet a definite need, especially for the county’s aging population, that has been building for a while.

“We’ve known this has been coming,” said Wood. “We know we’ve got to provide the service.”

Gary Roakes, the county’s public safety director, said Pedlar fire Chief David Boggs asked for the additional help. The request is based upon a limited number of volunteers and a desire to provide a quick response, Roakes stated in a letter to supervisors.

It could take 10 or 15 minutes for a volunteer to arrive at the station, depending on where they live, Roakes said. Having more people there full-time gives a faster reaction to calls when every minute proves crucial.

The extra personnel also would improve capabilities for the organization responding to fires, Roakes said, by sending out a fire apparatus along with an ambulance.

“What this person at Pedlar will do is allow us to get the fire engine out on the road,” said Roakes. “Fire doubles in size every minute – the sooner we can get there the better.”

For the past 14 months, the county has staffed the Pedlar station with a career paramedic 24 hours a day each day.

The Monelison Volunteer Rescue Squad is also staffed with career personnel.

Volunteer captains asked the Board of Supervisors five years ago for assistance because of a lack of daytime volunteers.

The county staffing daytime positions worked well for a while, Roakes said, until last year when they returned seeking 24-hour-a-day help.

The county staffs the Amherst Life Saving Crew 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.