Volunteer rescue squad looks to meet state standards

BY DONNIE JOHNSTON

Date published: 4/10/2007

BY DONNIE JOHNSTON

If hiring our own emergency medical services personnel is the only way we can meet state standards, then that's the way we'll go!

That was the Culpeper County Rescue Squad's (Company 11) message to the county Fire and Rescue Association board of directors last night.

The message came in response to a query from Director Mike Bailey about the meaning of a recent Company 11 advertisement in the Culpeper Star-Exponent. That ad read, in part: "The Culpeper County Rescue Squad is currently accepting bids from VA. licensed EMS agencies for subcontracted provider services in Culpeper County."

Both Company 11 President Tricia Trenary and Waverley Parker, the squad's lawyer, followed up their initial response by pointing fingers at Culpeper County's paid emergency services staff, which they said was directly responsible for the Virginia Office of Medical Services suspending the squad's license on Jan. 2.

Parker said that three members associated with the county EMS staff had filed complaints with the state concerning Company 11, bypassing local authorities, including the Fire and Rescue Association.

"It was the dirty work of one group of people in the county," Parker, a Greene County attorney, charged.

The state Office of Emergency Medical Services gave as its reason for suspension that Company 11 was "not answering 100 percent of our calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, continuously."

Trenary and Parker further blasted the county for not returning its paid EMS staff to Company 11's station after the suspension was lifted on Feb. 26 (the paid personnel had been told they could not legally use the station or Company 11's equipment while the suspension was in force).

"The moment that [lifted suspension] occurred, the invitation was issued to the county to come back in," said Parker. He said County Attorney Dave Maddox replied saying that since the state was still holding hearings on the suspension, paid EMS people would not return.

With the paid EMS workers not there to help, Parker said there was no way the volunteers, already in short supply, could answer 100 percent of the calls, thus placing them in continued violation of state mandates.

Fire and Rescue Association President Jack Griffin, however, suggested that Company 11 officials should not have allowed their problems to get to this point.

Date published: 4/10/2007