At the recent County Commission meeting, Larry Armbruster, president of the Ambulance Authority, claimed the 911 Office is losing employees, because they were harassed by individuals who are frustrated with the EMS ordinance. “They are harassed by people that have half the notion of what is going on,” Armbruster said. “These people are dedicated to saving lives and treating and helping the injured. They do not need to be harassed by people.”
Armbruster reported that of the EMS fee invoices mailed out, 2,812 of those bills were not paid.
He stated the Ambulance Authority goals to the Commission. The goal of 24 hour, seven days a week coverage from two stations is not quite met yet.
Another goal of the Ambulance Authority is scene response time in 10 to 15 minutes. “We are doing reasonable well on that,” Armbruster said. He reported that 85 percent of calls from time of dispatch to time of crew in route are less than five minutes.
The goal of improving pay schedules to “almost competitive” pay rates is close to projection. The goal of increasing the number of paramedics is “not doing well,” Armbruster said. He attributed the low number to poor salaries.
Commission President Diane Hinkle said, “Those people who have not paid or do not support it, we hope you will reconsider. We would all like to think we will never need it, but you never know when you need it.”
Ron Hollis and Matt Boarman from the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge provided updates to the Commission.
Boarman overviewed on the refuge’s Youth Conservation Corps program, the story time program, and educational programs at the county schools and Mountain Laurel Learning Center.
Hollis updated the Commission on the refuge’s Habitat Management Plan and Annual Habitat Work Plan. The refuge recently applied for funds to upgrade their marque to an LED sign. “Our goal is to install in the summer of 2018,” Hollis said.
Hollis also stressed that building a new visitor center for the Canaan Valley Refuge is the number one priority for the Region 5 Refuge System. The federal access grant the refuge and Department of Highways applied for to improve Camp 70 road was not accepted.
Refuge staff plan to install a canoe and kayak launch sites on the Blackwater River near the Brown Mountain parking lot will get a canoe/kayak launch.
Office of 911 Director Brett Ware reported Green Bank Observatory gave the office authorization for their new radio channels.
The Commission went in to executive session to discuss purchasing four acres of property surrounding the ball field and boulder park in Davis from Western Pocahontas Property.
Board appointments for Canaan Valley PSD, the Building Commission, Tucker County Historic Landmark Commission, Canaan Valley Board of Zoning, and the 911 Advisory Board were approved. A board appointment for the Tucker County Cultural District was recommended for appointment by the governor.
