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Emergency services coordinator asks county for pay adjustment, four rescue positions and portable‑equipment fund
Summary
Emergency Services Coordinator Greg Hunter told the Board the county needs a coordinator salary adjustment to avoid pay compression, radio and generator replacements, four additional rescue positions to respond to a roughly 30% increase in call volume, and a portable equipment fund for SCBAs and extrication gear.
Emergency Services Coordinator Greg Hunter told the King and Queen County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 27 that several changes will be needed in the coming budget cycle to maintain emergency communications and expand rescue coverage.
Hunter said he requested a salary adjustment in the coordinator line to prevent compression with a newly hired deputy chief and to offset costs if the coordinator position becomes full time. He also outlined rising equipment and maintenance costs tied to radio communications, including removal of gear from several towers as part of a wireless‑internet transition and inflationary increases in radios, batteries and pagers. Scheduled capital funds, he said, include replacement of generators that are reaching end of life.
Hunter said rescue services have seen call volume increase by roughly 30% over the prior year and that staff included a request for four additional positions to expand the department to provide fire coverage in addition to rescue. He asked the Board to consider a portable equipment fund to help volunteer and paid agencies buy expensive non‑capital items such as self‑contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and extrication tools.
The coordinator’s requests were presented as budget input; the Board did not take formal action on the items at the meeting. Hunter’s presentation and the Board’s discussion focused on capacity, equipment life cycles and the fiscal implications of adding full‑time staff and peripheral funding for volunteer units.
