AMHERST COUNTY, Va. – Amherst County leaders want to review their Public Safety Department to see how they can be better prepared for any situation.
Virginia’s Fire Services Board would evaluate the county’s resources, personnel, and organization.
Amherst County administrator Dean Rodgers said the last study was conducted in 2013, and a lot of those recommendations are still relevant today.
Rodgers said their biggest challenge is staffing. They have enough firefighters, but more volunteers are always needed. While EMS currently has 18 careered employees – they need 27 staff members.
“If we can get volunteers to help and draw on [people] that are public-service minded, who want to make a difference in their community; this is how they can do it,” Rodgers said.
The study would help them identify what training and incentives they need to offer in order to get more volunteers.
The review could take several months to complete.