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Hardy County ambulance authority details staffing strains; commission tables fee ordinance for work session
Summary
Roger Vakovsky of the Hardy County Emergency Ambulance Authority described staffing shortages, dropped calls and budget limits. The commission voted to table an ambulance fee ordinance update and scheduled a work session to add an annual CPI adjustment before further action.
Roger Vakovsky, representing the Hardy County Emergency Ambulance Authority (HCEAA), told the commission Aug. 2 that license renewals succeeded and that staffing shortages continue to pressure ambulance coverage in rural areas.
Vakovsky reported Wardensville Volunteer Rescue Squad’s license renewal score (94 of 100) and said HCEAA’s approved budget effectively funds “one and a half” crews on the county’s east side. He said the agency saw a peak of 12 “dropped calls” earlier this year (situations where an on‑scene crew left a second simultaneous call to be handled by another agency); that fell to six in August. Vakovsky and HCEAA staff are recruiting part‑time employees; he said two had been hired so far and four part‑timers had been recruited.
Vakovsky described operational steps — including software the authority is piloting that shows calls in real time — and said he has asked staff to explore limited “pay per call” compensation for volunteers as one option to improve coverage while remaining within the county’s fiscal constraints.
Commission discussion focused on budget limits the commission set earlier in the year. The commission president said the 2025 budgeting process directed agencies to “perform to that budget,” and commissioners agreed to hold a work session to revise the ambulance fee ordinance to include an annual Consumer Price Index adjustment and other clarifications. The commission then voted to table the ordinance until after the scheduled work session; a work session was scheduled for Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. before the comprehensive plan public hearing.
Ending: Vakovsky said HCEAA would continue recruiting part‑time staff, and commissioners said they expect to review ordinance updates and budget implications at the follow‑up work session.
