"We're not yet in as bad shape as the squads, but the county might as well prepare for the future," said Mike Worrell, assistant chief of the Colonial Beach Volunteer Fire Department.
Slow rescue-squad responses to 911 calls forced the Westmoreland Board of Supervisors to declare a state of emergency this week and hire a private ambulance company to supplement the county's three squads on weekdays when volunteers are scarce.
A lack of weekday volunteers is also a major problem for the county's four volunteer fire departments, firefighters said Thursday at a meeting of county officials and emergency workers.
"It's a bad feeling when you've got to go out on that engine by yourself," said one firefighter.
The firefighters urged county officials to include them in upcoming talks with rescue-squad officials about paying volunteers for emergency duties and hiring other paid workers.
"It makes perfect sense," agreed Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert J. Wittman. "If it's a good long-term solution for the rescue squads, it will be a good long-term solution for the fire departments."
Improving emergency response times has been a major goal of meetings of the Westmoreland Fire and Rescue Strategic Planning Committee.
About 30 county officials, firefighters and rescue-squad members attended Thursday's meeting.
"Improved response times are synonymous with improving crew availability for the fire departments and rescue squads," said a report of a group studying the issue.
Other issues under discussion include more county funding of emergency organizations, the hiring of an emergency-services coordinator, and upgrading the county's fleet of firetrucks, two of which are 1968 models.
"It is difficult to save enough to pay for $300,000 engines," said a report on firetruck replacement that recommended the county contribute an additional $50,000 to each department each year for new trucks.
Other topics under discussion include:
Cross-training emergency workers to enable them to answer both fire and rescue calls.
Basing firetrucks and ambulances together at stations throughout the county.
Combining fire and rescue organizations under one county agency.
Allowing sheriff's deputies to respond to life-threatening calls when they are the closest available personnel.
The fire and rescue committee plans to issue a final report by September. County officials will meet Aug. 2 with rescue squads and fire departments to discuss paying emergency workers.
