Squad volunteers are scarce in pandemic

by Larry Chowning – 

The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors approved Emergency Services Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) act grants on Sept. 1 for the four county volunteer fire departments and Middlesex County Volunteer Rescue Squad (MCVRS).

Supervisors approved grants of $20,000 each to the Hartfield Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD), Lower Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department (LMVD-Deltaville), Upper Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department (UMVFD-Water View), Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD-Urbanna) and a $40,000 grant to the MCVRS.

Layman informed supervisors that MCVRS has lost volunteer help due to COVID-19. “Some volunteers stopped making (emergency service) runs due to the virus,” said Layman. “The rescue squad’s cost of operation has gone up because they have had to hire (professional) EMTs to make the runs.”

He also noted that fire departments and the rescue squad have had to cancel fundraisers. Due to COVID-19…