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By Jeanne Kauffmann
Rappahannock News Writer
Do you know where your local firehouse is, how it is staffed, the average response time and whether it has adequate communications?
For many of us it is not until it is “our emergency” that we think about the critical nature of the service provided by our fire and rescue companies. I would suggest that the better time to consider this issue is before the emergency.
The Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services lias proposed new regulations ^governing EMS providers in ^Virginia. Each of the counties *in the Commonwealth, ■•whether they rely on paid or ^volunteer fire/rescue personnel, will be affected by these ^regulations. ■ In Rappahannock, these ■ regulations, if passed in their ^current form, could substantially affect our local fire and ’rescue companies due to the ^potential inability to meet ■ personnel, administrative ■ and other requirements as ^proposed in the regulations. I ;view these regulations as a jwake-up call, another •reminder that times have ^changed and we need to trespond accordingly. I Currently, volunteers •staff fire and rescue companies in Rappahannock. More •are needed. However, ongoing Icalls for volunteers have gone ^largely unanswered. Perhaps ‘it has to do with the fact that ■our county population is
93.0%