By: Jennifer Britt
The Parsons Advocate
Ren Adkins and, his son, Brian Adkins presented retiring Tucker County Commissioner with a walking cane. Adkins said, “Commissioner (Lowell) Moore in honor of the services you have rendered since you are going into retirement. I know you were broken down with a knee replacement. I have had knee replacement, but we are not as young as we use to be, are we? I would like to present you with a walking stick. This is three pieces of wood. This is hickory, this is red cedar, and this is black walnut. They all came from our Pifer community and School House Road. There is also deer horn in it. Your boy gave me one that was not quite big enough, this one is a little better. It has a few jewels in it. There is your flag of the United States. I think you used a .270 (rifle). That’s marble. It has the West Virginia emblem in it. And the deer horn is off of Pifer Mountain too. In honor of your services sir.”
With a huge smile Moore said, “Thank you so much!”
Audience guest member Lois Arbogast spoke to the county commissioners expressing her wishes that the EMS ordinance fee had been followed through with even though she was against it in the beginning. Arbogast explained how she now knows what good the fee did for the ambulance employees by providing insurance for them in the past two years. Arbogast said, “No one in this courthouse, nor anyone in any business entity would keep the job they have or taken the job they have or had if there were not some benefits such as retirement or insurance. I do not have it in me to become an EMT or paramedic, but I commend those who do.”
Arbogast continued by convey the need for EMS support to the commissioners and for them to do what is needed for the residents, and visitors of Tucker County.
Employee reports started with OEM Director Kevin White. White reported that Storm Ready signs were ordered for Davis and Thomas. Emergency signs on routes 219 and 32 are all working properly. White said that excessive COVID supplies such as masks will be handed out to places like the health department and Cortland Acres to help save them money.
Law enforcement crisis school-based incident training was conducted with eight personnel. Among those who attended the eight-hour training and received certificates were school board, law enforcement, and fire department members. White said, “The purpose of the training to prepare incase something happens that is school based whether it is simple as a power outage. Who is going to evacuate the kids? We will have some training in place that everybody knows what to do in those situations.”
White ended his report by saying, “I want to thank you (Moore) for everything you do for the county commission, for the residents, and emergency services. Thirteen years ago, we were opponents, but we were friends and we have remained friends. I can not say how good of a friend that Lowell Moore has become to me, and I really appreciate that. I know you will still be around to call upon when we need you and absolutely I will be in the same position, but again I say this and I mean it, the county could not have picked a better person on that day 13 years ago.”
Moore said, “On that day we were friends, but we are better friends now.”
Interim Director for 911 Mike Simmons reported there were 841 calls placed to the 911 call center for the month of November. Of those calls 90 were for EMS, 47 were for law enforcement, 18 were for fire department Company 10, 10 were for fire department Company 20, 10 were for fire department Company 30, and 10 were for fire department Company 40.
Simmons provided an update on the current projects at the call center. The virtual server installation was complete on November 27, 2022, and everything is running correctly. The beginning stages of the new CAD are complete. The mapping stage kicked off on December 6, 2022, and all local and state parties involved have the necessary data for Motorola to complete the new CAD as requested.
Simmons thanked Commissioner Moore by saying, “Thank you for everything you have done for not only myself, but the call center and the county.”
Commissioners Fred Davis and Moore approved the re-appointment of April Miller to the Development Authority Board and accepted the resignations of Karen Bonner from the Canaan Valley Zoning Board as well as William Shahan from the Tucker County Planning Commission.
The commissioners also approved ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding for the Town of Davis in the amount of $63,854. The money will be used to replace the electric activators and backwash valves, repair the roof at the water plant, and replace poly post roll leaders.
Ambulance Authority Board President, Dennis Filler, said, “In light of recent events, Tucker County Ambulance Authority and Tucker County EMS are providing basic EMS services to the county with at least one crew and sometimes a second crew. We are performing all actions necessary to continue to operate as a state approved EMS service provider for the citizens and visitors of Tucker County. We are base lining the operations of the organization within the organization itself. That includes inspection, deep dives into our medical equipment, ambulance equipment, our business processes, our supplies, personnel training, and our recruitment efforts.
We would like to reaffirm that our commitment to community partnerships that have benefited the Tucker County EMS both in the past and we are seeking to establish new collaborative relationships with the public and public leaders to move our Tucker County EMS forward into a brighter future.
We are firmly working with our role in concert with other county emergency services such as OEM, our fire stations, and our state and county law enforcement so that Tucker County EMS is part of an integrated team and that we are here together to serve the emergency services for the county.
We are working towards increasing our staffing, but again within our fiscally sustainable levels. And we are working towards building our flexibility in the organization to deliver the greatest possible value to Tucker County.
And lastly, we will be working to perform community outreach. That is build better community understanding and hopefully appreciation of what we do and how Tucker County EMS serves the community.
I would like to take this time to announce that Amanda Simmons has been selected and in the job now for 10 days, as the Interim EMS Director. We will be pursuing in the new calendar year the big process where we will announce for a permanent director. We are making sure the community knows we have the situation under control and are providing EMS services.”
Davis said, “I am looking forward to moving forward on that. I do not think we need to look back, but open the door, walk in, and say here we go, let us move on with everything. I am not saying anything bad about the old or the new I just think we should open the door, keep our minds open, and do a good job.”
Tucker County Sheriff J. E. Kopec reported that residents of Tucker County can now go online to pay their taxes or by phone with a card. Any unpaid taxes will now have to be redeemed through the state. Kopec will also be hosting a concealed weapon carry class on February 4, 2023, at 10 a.m. The cost of the class is $55. Anyone interested should call the Sherriff’s Office to be added to the list of participants so the office can remind anyone that is interested.
Kopec said to Moore, “Thank you commissioner for working very well with our office. Thank you for your service. Politics, especially in small towns, can be trying. Thank you for taking that on for 12 years, and as a citizen I thank you for that.”
The commissioners approved other items on the agenda that included a part-time dispatcher for the 911 call center, a new culvert for behind the call center in the amount of $3,000, and a new procurement policy procedure for the new Blackwater PSD.
Davis ended the meeting by saying, “I am going down to the college in Moorefield to help set up different classes to better our workforce. The classes will be for all ages and in different fields of study such as CDL and EMT training.
I appreciate working with Lowell the last four years. He took me under his wing, showed me around, showed me what I am supposed to do, and how to dress.” While laughing Davis explained the first meeting he attended his tie was too short and Moore pointed out that he needed longer ones. Davis continued by saying, “I appreciate you and everything you have done. I know that if we need anything we will take care of each other. You take your job to heart like I do, and I really appreciate you very much.”
Moore made his last comment as commissioner by saying, “I appreciate everybody in this courthouse and in the public. This job is very public and you please some and some you do not. I want to thank everybody; it has been a pleasure to serve everyone of Tucker County and I wish everybody well.”
