Winsome Wednesday on the Day after Terrific Tuesday: Sup Botetourt? Read on I’ll tell ya!
Look at the body language in this picture I call “Divide.” David Bush and Jayson Parr on left from Fincastle Volunteer Rescue Squad and Carr Boyd Director of EMS on right.
Hey it’s Teriffic Tuesday again but on Winsome Wednesday. How’s everything in your neck of the woods? I was too tied up all day to craft my tome. I think it was meant to be. Today arrived with the right column.
Sup Botetourt? It snowed again oh great. The snow plow came down the road twice before I ventured out and here I sit at my Wednesday haunt Mill Mountain Coffee in Daleville. So here it is, March 6.
For two nights I listened to the continuing controversy with our volunteers and the new County EMS Director Carr Boyd. I have a story coming on that. Last night March 5, the county met with Fincastle Rescue squad.We have paid staff in rescue really except in Eagle Rock areas and Fincastle. That once proud tradition is fading. FARST the volunteer liaison hasn’t met since August of 2012. All of the problems began with the new administration and the departure of Spencer Suter who had a good head on his shoulders. Last night at the county table I found myself rooting for Fincastle Supervisor Jack Leffel who is clued into the situation.
Read the story later I write about last night. Hopefully it is the next thing I write today. It is critical that the citizens of this county realize your volunteer pool isn’t necessarily diminishing because of no volunteers. They are not being groomed, appreciated or encouraged. Just the brass tacks here, readers.
Former County Administrator Jerry Burgess said that every volunteer was worth 50K ( thousand dollars) that the county did not have to expend. Used to be volunteer training could be seen at LBHS, Fincastle Firehouse on Saturdays. The scene is ghostly quiet now. That silence has happened since last spring when two new people came into the county administration. Boyd and County Administrator Kathleen Guzi. Remember where ever extra paid personnel comes in to serve, it takes money away from other programs like the Sheriff’s Department, the school division, your local library, etc. Not saying EMS isn’t vital, because it is vital. Just pointing out a few things in limited economics.
Terry Austin from Buchanan said last night “There’s only 1 % growth in our Botetourt economy, there’s no money.” Hurting for dollars? Well then don’t encourage the demise of dedicated volunteers who actually live here and are concerned about the Botetourt communities they serve. Buchanan Fire and Rescue was a mess for many reasons and it is still causing a mess. But it doesn’t mean can the volunteers– it means find the right leadership and get back in the game. Is there a Pandora’s Box that you can’t get the evil spirits back into over there Mr. Austin? My father would say be a man and do the right thing since you love to do so for the county. You’ve told me you know what’s best for all of us on several occasions. (Refer here to my Terrific Tuesday– read it and all of the comments again.) I say back. “Do it then.” You aren’t a bad guy in this picture you should be a leader guy in a white hat.
Boyd has been nice to me and so has Guzi for the most part. No problems for me but then I am what I am so ….
The lack of returned phone calls from the administrator that you citizens bring to my attention from across the whole Botetourt area is concerning. For many of you I believe it is the reason why you are asking questions on this blog about finances, the volunteer situation and so on and so on. Yes folks on the hill in Fincastle, I get plenty of calls, emails, FB messages, stops in Kroger, at church, at the gas station– all about this situation. I think it’s time for you to get in the game, too.
I have to ask again. Who did the audit on the Buchanan Volunteer Fire Dept? I want to know if it was an independent audit or in house. That is significant!
You can’t let the fox in the hen house and expect good results.
Today a lady from Blue Ridge has posted a letter to us. All I can say that a good defense is best supported by a good offense. It’s time EMS went on the offense again in a positive way. Don’t give up–do more–solicit volunteers for your stations and treat them with respect!
I would love to see Botetourt County hold a volunteer fair again. Have another Volunteer Appreciation Day. “We really value our volunteers,” sounded right much like my oldest child Brittany years ago. Through clinched teeth she said as she gazed full of hate at her new sibling, “I just love my new baby brother.”
“The economy has changed for the worse in the last five years,” Guzi repeated last night numerous times; “We have no money,” said Austin and Boyd couldn’t bear to look up and said nothing…then logically, oh logically…sigh….
“Why would you try to run the volunteers out of town at 50K a person!! ”
Just a big head’s up: Taxpayers that’s your wallet, your schools, your sheriff’s department …
See you next week!
March 6, 2013 - 12:37 PM
Wow. This is quite an interesting article. If only the person writing it knew what she was talking about. The history of this issue runs deep back into the days well before Mrs. Guzi and Mr. Boyd came to town. Lets not take the time to explore the root of the problems, lets just skim the sludge off the surface each week and keep everyone fired up. That’s what this blog is for, right? I really wish someone would look at things such as response capabilities, guaranteed levels of service, response times and the like in order to get a grasp on reality. Quite frankly the public is being fed what certain people want them to hear. The truth of the matter is that the people that do this for a job or do it as a professional volunteer, do it for the right reasons. Lets spend more of our tax dollars with wasted staff time in meetings that result in nothing. That’s the best way to be good stewards of tax dollars? It’s time to stand up, do the right thing for the right reasons, base decisions on facts and not fiction and protect the citizens that expect it.
Lets support those that support the fuctions of providing “prompt and professional services” to the citizens and visitors of Botetourt County.
Ms. Benson,
As a member and officer of the “paid staff” of Botetourt County Emergency Services, I urge you to research your statistics before vetting them to the public as facts. I have tried to steer clear of the rhetoric being thrown around in the newspapers and public forums, but they are casting such a negative light on the hard working men and women of Botetourt’s career fire and EMS services, that I can no longer stand for it. The men and women who work for Botetourt’s career fire/EMS staff and administration are highly trained, devoted, and caring people. We (the career staff) would not have chosen to make this our career if we did not care about the service we provide. I for one am also a resident and taxpayer in Botetourt County and am greatly concerned about the state of affairs in Botetourt’s Fire/EMS services. In fact, I cared so much about the state of affairs here that I left a 14 year career with Salem Fire-EMS and took a substantial pay cut to take a captain position with Botetourt to help make a positive impact on Fire/EMS services here. I will be the first to admit that Botetourt needs more competent, professional, well trained volunteers. I have many friends in Botetourt volunteer Fire/EMS agencies who I feel meet this description. Unfortunately, there is another group of not so well intentioned volunteers who have personal agendas that they apparently feel is more justified than a better Fire/EMS service delivery model. This is unfortunate, especially when the public at large is who pays the price. I would urge anyone interested in knowing the facts and the benefits provided by Botetourt’s Fire/EMS career staff to come by the Fincastle fire station and talk directly to one of the career staff or myself. It was erroneously posted in this blog that there are no paid staff located there, however, this is actually one of our hubs of operation. We operate a career advanced life support ambulance 24 hours, 7 days a week out of the Fincastle fire station, as well as a career fire engine staffed with at least 3 personnel (all of which are also EMS certified, some to the ALS level)
It seems to me that we may need a new point of view for the Botetourt View. All i’ve heard over the past few months is how bad it was to add career personnel to the EMS system in BoCo and that the Administration for BCES is the issue and if we’d only let the volunteers do their jobs then we wouldn’t have a problem. Don’t you see that you’ve made Botetourt County and it’s Emergency Services a laughing stock within the Roanoke Valley. How many times have you, Cathy, gone to talk/visit/ride along with the “career” crews. Have you asked them how they feel when they spend day in and day out serving the people of Boteourt only to be blasted in the newspapers or when Volunteer agencies get praise in your columns for calls that they themselves have responded to? Yes, you may only be naming Director Boyd and Administrator Guzi in your posts, but bad mouthing the system also weighs on the shoulders of the crews that support Botetourt County. The system isn’t perfect, but what is? I urge you to take time to get the full story. Don’t you imagine there is more to it than the one side you seem to be reporting?
Invite me I’ll come. I have no problem with career crews. I would love to ride along. My cell phone is 793-0896. This isn’t making you bad guys. We have to both paid fire and rescue and volunteers. As stated several times by public officials–”We have no money.”
In the story that follows it says your are there 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. paid staff covers the very busy days of Botetourt from there and fill 60 hours per week in Fincastle. Fincastle Volunteer Squad covers 108 hours according to Garry Taylor from Fincastle Rescue Squad with nights and weekends.
Oh this is merely a column and op ed sort of thing, but I do know more than I can tell. Yes volunteer issue has been an issue for just about every organization for a while not just fire and rescue but this head has come to a blow in the past year. Working together as Fincastle Supervisor Jack Leffel said yesterday is imperative.
Politics! Yes, it happens here in Botetourt County just as it happens on the state and federal level. Yes,there is wasteful spending. As long as individuals try to convince you their beliefs are the right ones instead of working together collectively there will be no productive solution. Folks, I strongly urge you to pay attention to both sides of the coin and do your own research but I beg you to get involved with your local government. There truly is a great deal to learn from them. After all it is our tax dollars that keep this county afloat even if they aren’t necessarily spent wisely. Not only are the Board of Supervisors and K. GUI responsible…so are we. A few of them talk to loud and too much in public places. Of course there are a few who think they run the county by themselves and that is an unfortunate situation as they want you to see them as unified but that is far from the truth. I must say that I have read all these articles but I do not see anyone faulting the career EMS here in Botetourt. I would however say that if Kathy Benson can’t find you at your headquarters in Fincastle she can locate you in one of the county trucks at a local grocery store in Daleville. Yes you do work long shifts and you do need to eat but grocery shopping in the county truck seems like you are wasting tax dollars when you have other county vehicles at your access to use. I would not blame anyone but Mr. Boyd for allowing that. However my confidence wains when I think of him actually doing good for the county. A big thanks to every volunteer whether it be with fire and rescue or any one of many other places we can lend a helping hand. Remember you can become a volunteer to help with just about anything. Help is always needed during fundraising. Show your support and help when you can. You can fill out a volunteer form online although it takes some time to navigate to the right place on the county website as it does not seem to be user friendly at all. That’s all for now, I’m sure other thoughts will come to mind……
No one has made a laughing stock out of Bces except for the administration. No one is talking poorly about your career choice or the way you do your job. The root of the matter is how Botetourt choose to spend its money! They don’t have any but can continue to recruit and hire new staff. It’s not just the salary they have to pay either it’s the benefits and some cases New yahoos for them to take home. Sorry I do have a problem with that when there is a 4 million dollar short fall in the budget and it will affect my children’s education and ability to play sports. They should be investing more into their volunteers and it would SAVE money. You don’t have to pay a volunteer overtime when a call goes out right before they come off call. I applaud Cathy for reporting somehing positive for the volunteers. They are the ones that are Not paid but still get up at 3 am to come to people’s aid. They miss family functions, miss out on kids and grand kids functions, and choose to use free time helping he community. I’m amazed at the lack if respect for them up in the “hill”. I applaud Jack Leffell for actually some what standing up to the other board of supervisors as well for the volunteers. Thank you Cathy!
My apologies for not catching the mistake with Kathleen Guzi’s name. Also to say thanks to the career staff for their dedication but it would be nice to see the volunteers and career EMS work together for the good of the county.
Firefighters and fire departments are not the problem. What we see today in the Fire Departments is only a symptom of a disease that infected Botetourt County years ago. That disease is governance by the few, operating outside the public view. Decisions and promises made in backrooms presented under the guise of consensus. Those tactics worked with a master conductor keeping all the musicians of the orchestra in harmony. Now with a new conductor, the orchestra is not even playing the same sheet of music. All we are hearing is the cacophony of confusion. A prevailing number of supervisors should step up forget the drama and the backroom tension open up county government. It’s time for some fresh air.
Anytime you have a government official, whether local, state or federal, stay in political office too long, they forget who they work for, what values their constituents hold dear and what is truly best for those they represent. Just as we have seen in Washington, we have congress men and women who spend their entire lives in politics and take on the attitude that they know what is best for the folks. They think the voters are ignorant and “do not understand what must be done for their own good”. We do not elect officials to be our parents. We elect them to properly represent “We the people” on all levels of government. When they stop listening to us, it is time to replace them. We have 2 supervisors coming up for re-election this year. Perhaps it is time to start cleaning out the cobwebs at our local, state and federal levels. Elections do have consequences. Let’s consider some new voices who will speak out for us rather than rely on the same old tired talking points they fall back on everytime they are challenged.