Chesterfield Fire and EMS warns volunteer decline and aging population are straining EMS; asks board to fund ambulances and part‑time EMS staff

Chief Center, Fire and Emergency Medical Services chief, told the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors at a work session that the department handled a record number of incidents last fiscal year and faces persistent staffing and coverage pressures driven by an aging population and a decline in volunteer responders. "Throughout the last fiscal year, our members reported for duty and handled over 55,000 incidents, another record for the department," Chief Center said.

Why it matters: Rising EMS demand and fewer volunteer resources have left some response districts without ambulance coverage at times, increasing response times and requiring career firefighters to cover gaps. The department proposed adding three 24‑hour career ambulances over a five‑year period and creating part‑time EMS‑only positions to improve peak coverage and provide more consistent EMS standbys at special events.

The presentation and key figures

Chief Center said 76 percent of the department's incident volume was EMS related and that career and volunteer members transported more than 33,500 patients last year. "Over 67 percent of patients transported last year were 65 years of age or older," he said, noting the county's fastest‑growing demographic places persistent pressure on EMS.

The department reported that all response districts saw incident increases averaging 7.8 percent per district last year, far higher than the prior year's 2.5 percent. The top call types included nonspecific illnesses, falls and fire alarm activations; lift assists for older adults also appeared among the top 10 call types.

Volunteer decline and coverage gaps

Chief Center described a sharp decline in volunteer rescue coverage. Today the county has five volunteer organizations capable of providing emergency services: four rescue squads with a combined 128 certified EMS responders and one volunteer fire company with 12 certified firefighters. Shortages forced coverage gaps on weekends and holidays; the chief said there were 66 days…