Consultant could help develop plan for fire companies

The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to authorize county sta to apply for a grant application to help fund a management consulting rm, The Clearing, to assist the county’s volunteer re and rescue companies develop a ve-year plan for re, rescue and emergency medical services.

Smith and Frazier opposed authorizing sta to apply for the $25,000 grant, both claiming the body didn’t have enough time to review the proposal. They also said they want to see more input from volunteers and leadership across the county’s companies.

Emergency Services Coordinator Sean Polster said he worked on the proposal with Rappahannock County Fire and Rescue Association President Sean Knick, and said other association members are on board with hiring a third-party mediator.

There are also some association members on the Public Safety Committee, which unanimously voted to recommend the proposal to the Board of Supervisors.

The PATH Foundation grant would only cover a portion of the costs of the proposal. The proposal has not been o cially approved.

The county services agreement with the re and rescue association and volunteer companies states that the system shall maintain a ve-year plan. The Clearing is a company that focuses on group dynamics, according to county o cials, and if the company is formally hired, the goal would be to bring the re companies together “to develop a collaboration process that can be used by all stakeholders to subsequently analyze appropriate and necessary future service delivery strategic plans.”