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CHATHAM — Residents transported by Pittsylvania County’s rescue agencies may soon have to pay for the service.
The Board of Supervisors took the first step toward establishing a countywide ambulance billing system during its regular meeting Monday night.
The board approved the creation of a Fire/Rescue Advisory Board, which will be made up of five representatives from the county’s dozen fire-and-rescue agencies. The advisory board also will include a member each from the Pittsylvania County Fire & Rescue Association, the Board of Supervisors, the Pittsylvania County Emergency Communications Division and the medical community.
The advisory board’s purpose will be to establish policies, procedures and guidelines for managing and operating an ambulance fee-for-service schedule.
“We’re going to have to go to this (billing for services) sooner or later,” Kenny Hudson, vice president of the county Fire & Rescue Association and chief of Tunstall Fire & Rescue, said Monday.
The county’s rescue agencies currently do not bill patients for transport to a hospital. However, Danville-based Regional One EMS and Altavista Life Saving Crew provide backup ambulance service for the county and charge patients for their services.
In addition, rescue agency representatives say rising costs of fuel make it expensive for volunteers to drive to emergencies.
Contact John R. Crane at or (434) 791-7987.
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Reader Reactions
Here we go with another Coy Committee with Finkner poking into what’s going on. Tell us, will the County Cronies pick and choose the 5 that represent the 12? Well in that case, add Neal into the mix of Cronies. Leave it too this bunch and you get a real cluster… Well you get the picture.
I hope the advisory board will look at more than just the money. Pittsylvania County has been gracious over the years and provided the county agencies funds for very nice stations and equipment, but very little for the volunteers. Billing will not solve anything if something is not given back to the volunteers who serve for FREE! Look at surrounding counties and see what incentives they offer the volunteers. If the volunteers are gone who will provide our EMS service and at what price.
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