By Bethany Rodgers
The Frederick News-Post
FREDERICK, Md. — Emmitsburg Ambulance Co. can begin responding to emergencies again starting in November now that Frederick County commissioners have agreed to lift the station’s suspension.
The station can resume rescue work after spending months working to meet county standards. County commissioners in April ordered the company to halt its activity because of concerns that the organization had failed to respond to dispatched calls and didn’t have enough members living near the station.
During the suspension, the company lost access to state grant dollars and its county funding.
Ambulance billing revenue also dried up, since the company was no longer running calls, said Mary Lou Little, the organization’s president.
Ian Bartman, an attorney who represented the company during Thursday’s commissioners meeting, said the volunteers had made a diligent effort to beef up their ranks and train their membership. The county requires volunteer organizations to show a list of at least 10 active, trained members who live within 5 miles of the station or in the first-due area.
After months of work on recruitment, the company is now able to prove it has 12 such members.
“For people to come out and support their community that way is a pretty wonderful thing to see. They really should be commended for what they’ve done,” Bartman said in an interview after the meeting.
County commissioners voted unanimously to lift the company’s suspension and the release funds that had been held in abeyance. The ambulance company can start running calls again Nov. 1, commissioners decided.
While officials congratulated the organization for making strides, the head of the volunteer association said he still has concerns about the company’s membership.
Eric Smothers, president of the Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, noted that five of the company’s 12 listed members are students at Mount St. Mary’s University.
“These are transient folks that do not support a permanent list,” Smothers told commissioners. “I think down the road we will have issues” with the ambulance company.
Bartman said many stations recruit college students as volunteers. The Emmitsburg company is thinking of launching a program to offer free room and board to students in exchange for their service, the attorney said.
Bartman also asked commissioners to reinstate around-the-clock career staffing at the ambulance company. The career personnel were reassigned to the Vigilant Hose Co. in December. The commissioners said they will leave decisions about career staffing to Frederick County Fire Chief Denise Pouget.
Commissioners change invocation policy
Commissioners on Thursday also decided to permit sectarian prayer at county meetings.
The change was made to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision upholding the right to give faith-specific invocations during local government meetings. The county’s updated prayer policy still prohibits proselytizing or disparaging other religions.
County commissioners voted unanimously to make the policy change.
Officials extend contract with law firm
The commissioners Thursday also decided to direct an additional $175,000 toward legal services to help the county deal with stormwater management.
AquaLaw, a Virginia firm, has been working with the county on the renewal of its federal stormwater permit and other water-quality issues. Thursday’s unanimous decision expands the scope of the firm’s services to the county. All told, the county is prepared to pay AquaLaw $317,860, according to county documents.
Officials are drawing the $175,000 from funds set aside for a watershed restoration project. Commissioners said money for the project will be replenished.
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©2014 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.)