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Residents warn of volunteer EMS and fire staffing shortage; court to convene stakeholders
Summary
Residents and volunteer leaders told the Gilliam County Court on May 7 that volunteer recruitment has declined, leaving emergency medical and fire services at risk; the court asked local stakeholders and staff to convene to assess options.
Residents and volunteer emergency responders told the Gilliam County Court on May 7 that volunteerism for emergency medical services and fire protection has declined and that the county should convene affected providers to plan for the next 5–10 years.
Sheryl Bettencourt, speaking as a long-time county resident and volunteer, described a steady decline in volunteer participation across community organizations and urged the court to meet with EMS and fire providers to discuss funding, recruitment and long-term sustainability. Bettencourt said she did not have a ready solution but asked the court to “plant a seed” to start planning now.
Shannon Coppock, co-coordinator of the Condon ambulance service, described the current volunteer profile: a significant share of active responders are over age 60 and many are approaching retirement. Coppock said the service relies heavily on the same responders and that recruitment and the increased training burden make sustaining a volunteer model difficult.
Court members and community participants discussed options including: county facilitation of a countywide meeting of fire and EMS providers, exploring funding to pay responders, consolidation of small districts, or creation of an EMS coordinator. The court asked two volunteers who expressed interest to work with county staff (Anya) to convene a meeting of stakeholders from both the north and south parts of the county.
Speakers agreed that the county should discuss options soon to ensure services remain available, and the court tasked staff with organizing the initial convening and reporting back to the court.
