County continues to wrestle with emergency service staffing shortfalls

Emergency Services Chief Richard Mabie makes the case for full staffing, while acknowledging cost impacts on county government. Photos/Roger Bianchini

Having failed to achieve grant funding to cover the cost of expanded paid staffing needs in its Emergency Services Department, Warren County appears poised to continue treading a middle ground on meeting those needs.  At a November 8 work session Emergency Services officials reviewed staffing shortfalls and several options on how to deal with the problem.  It is a discussion that began in late 2016.

Those staffing issues primarily rest with South Warren Company 3 and Shenandoah Farms Company 6, with related issues rippling throughout the system, particularly Rivermont Company 3 in covering South Warren calls.  After work session discussion late last year, in January the Warren County Board of Supervisors first adopted a middle ground, partial staffing option to be self-funded until the result of a grant application to cover full staffing costs in current Fiscal Year 2017-18 was known.

That grant application result wasn’t good County General Services Director Brandi Rosser told the board last week.  Apparently up against stiff and broad competition, Rosser observed that Warren’s application “was so weak” it didn’t make it to the first round of consideration.  So while it’s back to the drawing board on another grant application – Rosser indicated she would seek information on the successful applications, including ones coming from Fauquier County and the City of Roanoke – how to proceed through the balance of this fiscal year which ends June 30, 2018, was on the table.

The decision 11 months ago was to fund two paid staff for the final six months of FY 2017 at a cost of $65,000.  That decision fell between County Fire Chief Richard Mabie and South Warren Chief Alan Brockway’s desired full-staffing option of four paid positions at twice that cost, and a no-cost, no-additional staff option that would force South Warren to continue to rely on other department’s personnel to help fill coverage gaps.

South Warren Company 10 was down to three remaining volunteers when the current plan was adopted nearly a year ago.  Addressing ongoing issues with volunteerism, recruitment and retention on November 8, County Fire Marshal Gerry Maiatico told the supervisors “We say we fight with life” when it comes to volunteer and entry level staff recruitment.

County Fire Marshal Gerry Maiatico begins power point presentation on the staffing situation and options for immediate and long-term solutions.

The two paid position option chosen in January left an “off-day” coverage gap estimated at 9 to 11 days a month.  And while that was certainly an improvement over an almost total lack of daytime staffing Company 3 was facing, for those who have made a career in emergency services, that week-and-a-half per month of reduced or even no localized response seems a dangerous gamble to live – or die – with.

Since the discussion began last winter, Supervisor Dan Murray has acknowledged public safety as a primary function of municipal government, and so a priority among departmental budget requests.

When the staffing options were first on the table 11 months ago, North River Supervisor Dan Murray observed that public safety was a primary municipal government function. – “Nobody wants to raise taxes – until their wife or kid is lying on the floor.” Murray said at the time.

As for the tax burden countywide, covering the current two-paid staff option for six months is about a third of a penny.  A full penny of County real estate tax revenue generates about $405,000.  So, it was estimated that it would take about a third of a penny of county real estate tax ($133,000 of revenue) to fund the two-position solution for the next six months (full year estimate $260,000).

The updated preferred option presented by fire and rescue officials on November 8 is to absorb the four additional positions now being funded through the County with VDOT help (see below); adding two positions at South Warren Company 3; returning daytime staffing to Rivermont Company 2; as well as a “release and hire” of the four vacancies created by absorption of four positions into Shenandoah Farms Company 6.  Annual cost of that option is currently estimated at $390,000.

Morgans Ford variable

One current funding variable is that the County is being compensated by VDOT for some additional emergency service staffing at Shenandoah Farms Company 6 related to additional needs created by the absence of a river crossing at Morgan’s Ford while the new low-water bridge is being constructed.  That funding will continue until the bridge’s completion, originally estimated as June 2018.  However during last week’s discussion, County Administrator Stanley noted that completion for use date could come prior to the turn of the year.

Stanley said he should know by December 1, if the bridge will open this year, marking an end to the supplemental VDOT funding of emergency services.  That loss will add out-of-pocket costs to the County for whatever level of staffing is finally decided on.

Stanley said that while he appreciated the department’s preference for the full staffing Option 3, his recommendation at this point would be to continue with the middle ground Option 2 to see how other funding variables play out in the near future.

Last year when the issue of volunteer department staffing shortages was first brought to the county board, fire & rescue personnel came almost directly from a major fire response at the North Fork Resort.