Tucker County Ambulance Authority President Larry Armbruster explains the reasons for the request for a mandatory EMS fee for Tucker County during the Tucker County Commission meeting Wednesday. Some residents attended Wednesday’s meeting to voice their objections to the proposed mandatory EMS fee.
PARSONS – The Tucker County Commission had the first reading of a proposed ordinance concerning the imposition and collection of an emergency ambulance service fee.
The ordinance is for the purpose of establishing and maintaining an adequate Tucker County emergency ambulance system within the geographic boundaries of Tucker County to promote the health and welfare of citizens of and visitors to Tucker County. The annual special ambulance service fee will be $50 per property owner and business location in Tucker County.
Larry Armbruster, president of the Tucker County Ambulance Authority, said last year, the Commission imposed a $25 voluntary ambulance fee that resulted in collections of $15,000, well below what is needed.
“The origins of the ambulance fee came from the Tucker County Ambulance Authority, not the Tucker County Commission,” Armbruster said.
Armbruster said the Ambulance Authority set goals to provide better patient care for the residents of Tucker County. The goals include providing 24/7 coverage from the Eastern and Western end of Tucker County. He said they want to assure response times are 10 to 15 minutes and they want to maintain their vehicles and equipment. He said they are looking to replace their AEDs and other equipment that are coming to the end of their lives. Another goal is to increase the number of paramedics for better patient care.
“The fee is needed to provide the EMS service that the people of Tucker County deserve, not need, deserve,” Armbruster said.
Commissioner Diane Hinkle said within 30 to 60 days of the proceeds being generated from the mandatory EMS fund, there would be 24/7 EMS coverage on both ends of the county for the first time ever. She said by Oct. 2017, it would insure there is a minimum of one paramedic on duty 24/7 in the county.
“By Jan. 2018, the goal is to bring the wages of our current employees up to the current competitive level,” Hinkle said. “At the current level, they are making the same or less than what someone makes at McDonalds. By July 2019, the County Commission will have erected a permanent EMS station on the county parcel in Davis.”
Hinkle said in their discussions, many senior citizens who are on fixed incomes are supportive of the ordinance.
“We hope people understand this is an effort to move the county forward and is an effort to improve services,” Hinkle said. “We hope that everybody gets on board with it.”
Tucker County resident James Nelson said he doesn’t have a college degree, but urged Commissioner to find out what is going on in the county.
“Number one is when you can charge $1,000 to pick somebody up and take them a quarter of a mile…you mean to tell me you are going to put this on to people in Tucker County? I can’t believe this. I can’t believe what I am hearing. I think his is illegal for you to do this. You couldn’t put a fee on the tourism that is coming into Canaan Valley. That’s all you think is coming into this valley. You don’t think about the people in Tucker County.”
Nelson said there is someone wasting money. “I don’t care who you audited, there is something wrong. I know how many runs go out of Tucker County.”
Nelson suggested putting a tax on canoers, bikers or other tourists instead of the residents.
Veteran Charlie Showalter said he fought for freedom.
“We (Tucker County Veterans) built a monument on the mountain. How did we get our money? We knocked on doors. People gave us money to build that monument. We asked for help from the people,” Showalter said. “The people in front of me (County Commissioners) are supposed to protect me but then they want to slap this fee on me. Why can’t these people go out and knock on doors and get donations?”
Showalter said he stood up for his country and said now he is sad.
“I’m ashamed of it. All I hear is we need this for our tourists. Which of them puts into the ambulance service,” Showalter said.
Commissioner Lowell Moore said he did not want him to think no one appreciated the service the Veterans had done.
“It’s not right for you to put a mandatory $50 ambulance fee on me,” Showalter said.
Also during Wednesday’s meeting Tucker County Clerk Sherry Simmons said agendas for the Commission meetings and minutes of completed meeting are available on line. Simmons said the website is http://tuckercountycommission.com. She said the choice for agendas has been moved to the top banner to make them easier to locate.
The next Tucker County Commission meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 14 in the Tucker County Courthouse Courtroom.
