‘The companies should lead the way’
Maybe, just maybe, the Rappahannock community is moving forward in addressing one of its more persistent and daunting challenges.
For more than a decade now, the aging of the county’s population has taken a toll on Rappahanock’s volunteer fire and rescue companies. Not only has that drained their rosters, but it has also resulted in placing a heavier burden on those answering calls — some of whom have stayed active beyond an age suitable for regularly responding to emergencies.
To compensate, the county has hired a dozen paid emergency medical technicians (EMTs) on a part-time basis. But that has raised its own dilemma: How do you balance the roles of paid and volunteer responders so that the latter stay committed?
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At a meeting Tuesday, members of the Board of Supervisors and officers of all of the county’s volunteer companies took on those and other issues at a four-hour work session moderated by Larry Danner, representing a county-hired consulting firm, The Clearing.
Danner made it clear that the purpose of the meeting was not to solve problems, but rather to jointly identify key issues, and then try to zero in on those that can serve as a starting point for working together. That can be tricky because the volunteer companies greatly value their independence and are wary of county officials dictating the way forward.
“Identify the risks of not doing anything,” he advised.
Scarce volunteers
Among the chief concerns raised in breakout sessions:
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First, and foremost, the scarcity of volunteers, a situation exacerbated by the high cost of housing that discourages younger people from moving into the county
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Demands of getting required training to answer calls
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Increasing equipment costs
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Slowing response times
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Insufficient coordination among the volunteer companies
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Lack of consistent and useful data
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Potential cost of increasing the number of part-time paid responders hired by the county
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Increasing likelihood of burnout among active volunteers
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Diminishing interest among young people to volunteer
Moving forward
Danner reiterated that the emphasis should be on what can be addressed in the short term. The group narrowed the priorities to better communication and collaboration among the companies, focusing on recruiting and incentivizing volunteers, looking for how to increase productivity and share costs, and clarifying the administrative structure of emergency services in the county.
“The county and the volunteer companies all need to be involved,” said County Administrator Garrey Curry. “But the companies should lead the way.”
He said a key is that the volunteer companies find ways to work together. “When the companies speak in a common voice, it’s very powerful,” he said.
Danner emphasized that the group session was only a first step, and that it was incumbent on people in the room to take the lead in sustaining the momentum. That, he said, might simply involve forming working groups to keep the process moving.
“I think it’s important for us to all get together and look at options and try to come up with some kind of plan,” said Richie Burke, president of the Rappahannock County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. “It can’t move forward if we don’t sit down and talk about it.”
Debbie Donehey, chair of the Board of Supervisors agreed. “The group of the people who were in this room are the ones who really understand the issues — It was good to see them all talking about these things together.”
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Foothills Forum is an independent, community-supported nonprofit tackling the need for in-depth research and reporting on Rappahannock County issues.
The group has an agreement with Rappahannock Media, owner of the Rappahannock News, to present this series and other award-winning reporting projects. More at foothillsforum.org.
