By: Jennifer Britt
The Parsons Advocate
Dr. P.S. Martin, Medical Director for Tucker County EMS suggested to the board members of the Tucker
County Ambulance Authority to engage with Clinton Burley from the EMSAC. EMSAC is the Emergency
Medical Services Advisory Council for the state of West Virginia. This engagement will help the
Ambulance Authority pin down certain issues and seek the best resolutions for those issues.
Burley is the CEO of HealthNet Aeromedical Services and chairperson of EMSAC. EMSAC is the group
which all of EMS’s policies and protocols are formulated and sent to Office of Emergency Medical
Services &Trauma System (OEMSTS) for final approval. EMSAC also includes a business assistance
group.
According to Martin, “This group is constructed of people who are heavily involved in every aspect of
the EMS business. These volunteers offer their services to come in and look at the service, look at the
county, and give projections of how best to manage situations. What types of crews, what size of crews
and what costs? So that we can see and demonstrate to the community that the amount you (the
Ambulance Authority) are asking for is not unreasonable.”
The group goes back for around five years and stemmed from requests the state legislature to provide
business counseling services and provide EMS adequate resources. They have a certain number of
experts in their offices who can provide these services and have extensive EMS background. These
experts will investigate the EMS and do a focus assessment. Then they will generate a written report and
provide background information and recommendations.
The EMSAC group also hosts a leadership business management program two to three times a year. The
program is intensive and goaled towards providing information and training for EMS management.
Board member Diane Hinkle touched on the factors that training in the leadership roles were important
to the EMS crew.
Governor Justice has put into place a virtual program for EMS executive leadership training beginning on
July 21. The program will be free of charge and upon completion of program attendants will receive
15 college credits from Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College.
EMSAC provides all services free of charge. There is no cost to the county unless there is professional
engagement agreed upon after the initial assessment is concluded.
In other Ambulance Authority news, the board has happily rescinded the resignation of Scott Kennedy.
Kennedy will remain on staff as Assistant Director.
Kennedy reported during the meeting of problems at Station One with black mold in the showers and a
sewage pipe backing up into the building. The board elected Director of EMS Shelia Marsh to write up a
letter to the owners of the building, the Tucker County Commission, requesting maintenance to come
and fix the problems. According to Kennedy these problems have been there since he started in 2014
and that the Commission has been notified on several occasions to no avail.
The board elected new officers for the authority. Dennis Filler will be the new President. John Bush was
voted in as new Vice-President and Chris Davis is the new Treasurer. The newly appointed officers will
take their reigning seats at the next Ambulance Authority meeting.
The next Ambulance Authority meeting will be held on July 20, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. at Tucker County Old
Courthouse Courtroom.