By Jeniffer Graham
The Dominion Post
KINGWOOD, W.Va. 鈥� The Preston County Commission unanimously voted to form an EMS advisory board during a special session Tuesday.
Commissioners have been working on a system that would allow service to be provided to areas where ambulance squads have closed their doors.
In 2021, KAMP Ambulance added a second station in the southern end of the county. It began as a temporary station in Newburg. It later moved to Fellowsville after the Fellowsville Volunteer Fire Department purchased the old Mountaineer Ambulance building and allowed KAMP use of the building.
On May 21, Rowlesburg Ambulance shut its doors for the final time, leaving a hole that is currently being covered by the Terra Alta Ambulance Squad and KAMP Ambulance.
Commissioner Hunter Thomas said he believed having the ambulance squads become centralized would decrease costs.
Pam Thomas, president of KAMP Ambulance, said some areas without service are closer to KAMP and others closer to other ambulance squads. She indicated the ambulance squads closest took the calls.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing this for years, " she said.
鈥淭he data I got from Justin ( Wolfe, assistant director of Preston County E-911) said that鈥檚 not working if I鈥檓 looking at it properly. I don鈥檛 know if I鈥檓 missing something and a quarter of time it鈥檚 out of parameters.鈥�
Commissioner Samantha Stone said the commission needs to look at the areas being served and redraw the map.
Stan Butler, a former ambulance squad member, said speaking as a citizen there is a problem.
鈥淓veryone knows we have a problem with the ambulance, " he said. 鈥淭his is a territorial thing. We only have four squads left. The county commission is ultimately in charge of providing ambulance service. You鈥檇 get more people coming in if you wouldn鈥檛 have this territorial thing. Eventually someone is gong to die.鈥�
Nicole Larew agreed.
鈥淏ad publicity is coming because of wait time, " she said.
鈥淚 talked to people. No one cares where the ambulance comes from, " Smith said. 鈥淏ut the odds of passing a levy for funding isn鈥檛 good. It only goes for five years and then you have to pass another one. The county commission can establish a fee. What it represents is the county taking over, or does the county distribute it and create an EMS board ?鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e worked on this for years. We鈥檝e tried to give you the information. We鈥檝e submitted budgets. We have a crew in Bruceton now because the Bruceton crew is not available, " Pam Thomas said.
鈥淲e look at the best service. To me that鈥檚 what鈥檚 important. Why not work together ?鈥�
Pam Thomas said there is 鈥渘o territorial " in the county. She said all of the ambulance squads work together. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 feel you can make it better, " she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a trust issue.鈥�
鈥淚 asked Justin how many ambulances we would need for a perfect world and he said five. We have to have an advisory board. You would still be running it and we have to have accountability. That would be up to the advisory board, " Smith said.
Stone said the biggest issue is trust. She said she wants everyone to be on the same team. 鈥淲e need you people to make it work, " she said.
Smith said he would check the numbers and update the different plans and incorporate Rowlesburg .
鈥淲e鈥檝e accomplished nothing today, " Stone said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e thrown out a variety of ideas. One, struggling, two county money dumped in, or three, working under a county-run ambulance squad. There is going to be a decision to be made.鈥�
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