COUNCIL VOTES $30,434 TOWARD ANOTHER AMBULANCE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 14, 1993                   TAG: 9301140164
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium
COUNCIL VOTES $30,434 TOWARD ANOTHER AMBULANCE
City Council has voted to spend $30,434 to buy an additional vehicle to handle second calls for Radford Emergency Medical Services. Second calls are emergency calls that come in while a crew is responding to an earlier emergency.
Radford Community Hospital contracts with the city to provide emergency ambulance services. Last week, the hospital returned $31,414 in surplus operating funds to the city.
The new emergency response vehicle is expected to be in service by April.
In voting "no," Councilman David Worrell said he was concerned that REMS staff members living outside city occasionally would take the vehicle home while on recall or standby duty.
"I do have a problem with the vehicle being kept . . . outside the city when we can't even answer calls outside the city," he told his colleagues this week.
In another matter, council heard a plea from Fred McCoy, chairman of the Radford High School Stadium Seat Fund, to have the city match some $20,000 in private and corporate contributions to complete installation of new aluminum seating.
McCoy, who was instrumental in the Boosters' Club that helped fund the stadium's construction more than 25 years ago, said he would like the city to help complete the project.
"Anything we do to it, we're increasing the value of the property," he said. McCoy said the School Board wants the group to have cash in hand before putting in additional seats.
Last summer, the group paid $21,241 for installation of aluminum bleachers in seven of 13 home side sections.
Worrell suggested a $10,000 city contribution instead of the requested matching funds. But council tabled further discussion on the matter until budget work sessions.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB