PARSONS – On Tuesday evening, Tucker County Commissioners met with local tow truck drivers to review the county policy regarding towing services for emergency towing of vehicles. Commissioner Lowell Moore said the meeting was to review the policy and gather comments, and no decisions would be made during the policy.
Moore said the policy is mandated to be reviewed every three years, but the Commission wanted to review the policy following its one-year anniversary.
Jim Nelson said what was hurting his business is AAA and special requests.
“We have to fix this,” Nelson said. “I got in touch with the guy from AAA this evening and he no longer takes care of West Virginia. There is another gentleman who takes care of West Virginia. I left him a message today and he did not call me back. We must do something with AAA.”
Nelson said there is no reason for folks to wait for more than an hour in blinding snow for an AAA wrecker to arrive in Tucker County.
“I think we need to do something to get on AAA,” Nelson said. “The gentleman at AAA said the county people would have to apply for AAA to come into the county.”
“So the letter would have to come from the county, not the individual wrecker services?” Commissioner Diane Hinkle said.
“The AAA guy said if the county needs more AAA services, it should come from the county,” Nelson said. “Randolph County has nine AAA dealers.”
Commissioner Moore said the split of towing services was improving and moving to the point of being more evenly distributed.
The County Commission adopted a policy regarding towing service for emergency towing of vehicles Aug. 1, 2013, after consulting with public safety units, public agencies and towing services, pursuant to W.Va. Code 24-6-12. Criteria used includes owner preference, police officer’s discretion based on prompt, fair, equitable and effective response and Tucker County E-911 contacting the next towing service company or operator on an established rotation list.
The policy also specifies in the event of exigent circumstances or multi-vehicle accidents, the police officer in charge of the accident or incident scene shall use discretion with regard to the dispatching of towing services.
Commissioners agreed they would contact AAA to see the steps needed to get more Tucker County towing services registered with AAA.
Another question asked during Tuesday’s meeting applied to the towing services responsibility when placed on the rotation.
“What expectation are these towing services held to when put on the rotation schedule?” a concerned resident asked. “Do they just pay a fee?”
Nelson said there was no fee, but their wreckers must be inspected by a public service, and they have to pass. He said the paperwork must also be filed with 911.
Moore said the county towing policy should be changed to include requirement of inspections.
“We also need to check with AAA on behalf of the towing services in the county,” Moore said. “I think we have made great strides and we have moved forward. If we keep working together we can still improve. Let’s look at these issues and work together. I think we can get things accomplished by working together.”
