Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505230005
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH HUNTLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
The 2 a.m. blaze that struck the nursing home in 1989 killed four people, and the story didn't end there. The fire continued to make headlines after it was discovered that Hollins firefighters took 18 minutes to respond because they had no sleep-in requirement and had to come from home to staff the vehicles.
Six years later, long after the clamor about imposing standards on volunteer crews died down, the county continues to struggle with questions of staffing. And for at least one county family, the ramifications were devastating.
The biggest issue is the numbers. Put simply, too few people are expected to fulfill duties that have grown too large.
Think of this. The city of Roanoke has 14 fire stations that cover 46 square miles. They are staffed 24 hours a day with 210 paid firefighters. The county's 11 firehouses - with a mix of about 50 career people and 400 active volunteers - are responsible for an area that stretches over 246 square miles.
Do the math, and it's no surprise that smaller crews suffer from severe burnout and have trouble covering calls quickly, that some stations can't find enough volunteers qualified to provide advanced care, and that the county often fails to meet national standards for manning equipment.
Read on in today's Horizon section for a clearer understanding of the county's challenges.
by CNB