Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Services Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Henry County approves $236,320 to prevent Ridgeway Rescue Squad from losing ambulance, board places lien
Summary
After lengthy questioning about volunteer squad finances and regional ambulance rotation, the Henry County Board of Supervisors voted to pay $236,320 to satisfy Ridgeway District Rescue Squad's outstanding ambulance debt and secure a county lien on the vehicle.
The Henry County Board of Supervisors voted to appropriate $236,320 to satisfy the Ridgeway District Rescue Squad's outstanding balance on a 2021 ambulance and placed a county lien on the vehicle to preserve it for local emergency use.
The motion, offered at the March 25 meeting, directed staff to pay the balance directly to the lender and record a lien in the county's name. The board debated whether the county should buy the truck outright or pay the squad's debt and require the lien; the board chose the latter. The transcript records the final tally as four yes votes, one no and one abstention.
Supporters said the payment was a one-time emergency intervention to keep rescue coverage intact while county and local officials work on long-term solutions for volunteer rescue and fire staffing. Sydney McCully, identified in the meeting as president of the Ridgeway District Rescue Squad, told the board the squad had a limited volunteer roster and that the truck is important for major local events. "We service 2 of the biggest events that Martin Luther King has to offer ... Marshall Speedway," McCully said, noting the squad's reliance on the vehicle for large gatherings.
County staff proposed paying the lender directly rather than writing a check to the squad and recommended recording a lien to guard county funds. Public safety staff noted the ambulance would most likely remain a reserve vehicle for career staff if the county owned it; a county official said the truck would not fit well in the regular rotation for career ambulances.
Board members questioned the timing, the squad's finances and whether the county should set a precedent for other volunteer organizations. One supervisor said the decision was not a sign the county would routinely bail out squads, but called it an allowable one-time emergency use of fund balance. Another supervisor urged the county and volunteer agencies to pursue a six-month framework to address systemic staffing and equipment shortages across Henry County's volunteer rescue and fire organizations.
The board's action directs payment of $236,320 to the lender and records a county lien on the ambulance. The payment was described in the meeting as a direct payment to the lender to prevent repossession and retain the vehicle for local emergency response.
