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Emergency services discussed by Brooke Commission

EMERGENCY SERVICES DISCUSSED — Matters involving Brooke County’s emergency services were discussed at Tuesday’s Brooke County Commission meeting. -- Warren Scott

WELLSBURG — Emergency services was a recurring subject at Tuesday’s Brooke County Commission meeting.

Business for the panel included seeking bids for office furniture for the new county ambulance station under construction at the north end of Pleasant Avenue near state Route 2.

County Commissioner Tom Diserio confirmed desks, tables and chairs will be needed for two offices at the station and a combined training and conference room, while beds will be needed for four sleeping quarters for ambulance personnel.

Crews have completed the main structure for the building, which also includes four bays for the county’s ambulances.

The new headquarters will replace two stations in the Marshall Terrace area off state Route 67 and along state Route 2 at Follansbee’s north end.

Ground was broken in June for the $2 million project, for which Thrasher Engineering provided designs and the Waller Corp. is serving as general contractor.

Diserio said the commission hopes for it to be completed later this summer or in early fall.

The commission also agreed to advertise the position of director for the county’s ambulance service and department of emergency management.

Greg Moore, a long-time paramedic with the agency, has served as interim director for the two entities since the departure of Andy Nickerson in February.

Diserio said the county’s ambulance authority, formed in recent years to oversee the agency’s operations, provided input into the job description, clarifying duties and other language, and will be involved in interviewing the next director.

The commission also accepted bids totaling $5,800 for three cots and stair chairs retired by the ambulance service.

Moore said the bidder, Coast Biomedical Equipment of Vista, Calif., will pay for the equipment to be shipped.

The cots and stair chairs were retired after the ambulance service acquired equipment with hydraulic mechanisms designed to reduce heavy lifting for ambulance staff.

The commission also agreed to seek claims, through the National Flood Insurance Program, for about $26,912 in cleanup costs for the county courthouse following the recent flood.

Diserio said the ground floor of the building had to be disinfected after water rose about 2 1/2 feet in it.

Following the meeting, Moore said flood-related damages assumed by Brooke County residents don’t appear to be sufficient to receive financial support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which usually requires a threshold of $1 million be reached.

But he said residents still may submit damages through a QR code and link found on the Brooke County EMA’s Facebook page.

The commission also heard from Jeff Luck, deputy ambulance and EMA director, who announced the SkyWarn Stormspotter training class that had been slated for April 3 has been rescheduled for 6:30 p.m. May 29 at the Brooke County Public Library.

Participants will learn to watch for and respond to severe weather. A limited number of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios will be given away.

Those interested in participating in the free program, which is offered in cooperation with the National Weather Service, should register at www.weather.gov/pbz/skywarn-schedule.

Luck added training for the Project Lifesaver program also will be offered on June 29 and 30 at the Hooverson Heights Fire Department.

Through the program, individuals who are prone to wander because of dementia, autism or other conditions, may be fitted with special radio transmitters allowing their families and emergency responders to locate them.

Usually worn on an ankle, the lightweight transmitters emit a specific radio frequency that can be tracked within a mile or two, depending on terrain, from the wearer’s homes.

Grants and donations from national and local nonprofit groups have helped the Brooke County agency to offset the cost for the transmitters, batteries and related equipment.

Those interested in attending the training program or learning more about the program should call (304) 737-5002.

The commissioners also thanked Luck for applying for about 375 care packages to be distributed to emergency first responders throughout the county.

Provided by Operation Gratitude, a nationwide nonprofit group, the care packages include toiletries, energy drinks and other items and a note of appreciation to their recipients and also have been sent to members of the military.

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