County's new ambulance plan looks good to Wellsville, fire chief says

By Aaron Falk

December 10, 2004 | WELLSVILLE -- Despite recent protests from Smithfield Mayor Ray Winn, Wellsville is looking forward to the new ambulance plan, effective Jan. 1, Volunteer Fire Chief Reed Bailey says.

Bailey, who heads a crew of 19 volunteer firefighters, said the plan to station ambulances in Smithfield and Hyrum for valley-wide use will cut down response time significantly.

"Quicker response time is the main effect of all this," Bailey said. "It will cut [response time] in half."

Focus in Wellsville now shifts to supplying man hours, Bailey said, as the city will be responsible for providing three firefighters on each call, for extrication purposes. And finding volunteers who are available during daytime hours is the city's most critical need, he said.

"Daytime help is our No. 1 biggest need," Bailey said. "Especially come Jan. 1."

Still, Bailey's wishes for more help may be granted sooner than expected, as four volunteer applications have been submitted for approval in the last week, he said. Volunteers approved by the fire department will be placed on one-year probation, Bailey said. In that year, the volunteer must become a state-certified, level-one firefighter -- a 120-hour program consummated by both written and practical tests.

Bailey said he recognizes the sacrifices made by the volunteers and said he appreciates their time.

"They're time is very valuable," he said. "When they get called, they drop what they're doing and go."

The Wellsville Fire Department currently boasts a fire engine, a rescue truck and a rush truck, all acquired with its combined city and county budget of about $18,750 per year. But, Bailey said, in recent years the department has "hit a gold mine" in government grants.

"In the last two years, we've been awarded two homeland security grants totaling about $85,000," he said. "It's quite a large application process and, honestly, I don't know why they picked us."

Bailey said the department has used its grant money to provide volunteers with more training as well as acquiring better breathing apparatuses and a cascade system -- a device which allows the department to refill its oxygen tanks.

Currently, 15 of the city's 19 volunteers have completed level-two training and eight have completed some level of HAZMAT training, Bailey said.

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