Paid EMS Staffers Coming To Goshen Board Hopes Move Will Be Temporary
The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors this week moved forward with plans to change how Goshen area residents receive emergency medical services — at least for now.
The Board voted Monday to authorize the hiring of seven new paid staffers to provide EMS services for Goshen. The Board did not vote on whether to remove the volunteer Goshen First Aid Crew from the county’s safety plan.
Both of those steps had been recommended to the Board as part of proposal presented by Rockbridge County Fire-Rescue Chief Nathan Ramsey.
In his written proposal to the Board, he noted that on May 8, Barry Arnold, chief of the Goshen First Aid Crew, was charged with two counts of embezzlement and two counts of conspiracy to commit embezzlement for allegedly misusing public dollars. Ramsey’s report said that his staff “understand from discussions with investigators that additional charges involving other individuals may still be forthcoming.”
Arnold stepped down from his position following his arrest and was replaced by his son, Benjamin Arnold.
“In addition to the criminal investigation, staff have identified significant concerns regarding organizational leadership, governance, financial oversight, and the long-term operational sustainability of EMS service delivery within the Goshen service area,” Ramsey wrote in his report.
“Given these concerns, staff believe the Board should con- sider long-term operational changes to EMS service delivery within the Goshen area,” the report continued.
The earliest the Board can vote on the status of the volunteer crew is its July 27 meeting.
Despite approving the new county hires unanimously, members of the Board said Monday that they feel strongly about keeping volunteer first aid workers in Goshen.
“Part of the plan has to be how we unwind it and put it back like it is,” said Kerrs Creek Supervisor Steven Hart.
‘EMS Services Will Continue’
If the Board votes to remove Goshen First Aid Crew from the county’s emergency response plan, the change will take effect immediately.
Ramsey said in an interview with The News-Gazette Tuesday that no matter what, help will remain available for Goshen residents.
“EMS services will continue in Goshen,” he said. “That is our first priority.”
The Goshen First Aid Crew will continue to receive dispatch calls until at least July 27. But Ramsey told the News-Gazette the county has a plan in place to use overtime and part-time EMS workers to provide coverage as needed.
Ramsey said the county has already started interviewing applicants for the new paid positions, and that the timeline for filling positions will depend on how much training each new staffer requires. The county will shift workers around to provide a mix of new and experienced workers throughout its rescue departments.
“It’s a very fluid and dynamic scheduling plan at this point,” Ramsey told The News-Gazette.
The county has one reserve ambulance that will now be housed at the Goshen Volunteer Fire Department. Ramsey said there are no concerns about the fire department building being able to accommodate the additional vehicle.
The cost of paying the new staffers and purchasing new equipment will total about $518,000 for the 2027 fiscal year.
The county already has some money set aside for emergency services in Goshen for the 2027 fiscal year that can be used to cover the new costs, including both a base allotment of nearly $84,000 and performance-based pay totaling just over $24,000.
It can also use money withheld from the Goshen First Aid Crew to help cover about $53,000 in costs. The county stopped providing quarterly funding to the organization when it began investigating inconsistencies in its budget in fall 2024. Since then, the county has only provided funding on an as-needed basis.
The EMS team will also bring in additional income through service charges. In his report to the Board, Ramsey estimated $100,000 in yearly revenue.
Even drawing from those sources, the county will still need to come up with about an additional $256,000 for the 2027 fiscal year. After the 2027 fiscal year, the county will need to budget for an additional $290,000 annually.
‘They Are Our Neighbors’ Ty Bethel, a junior member of the Goshen First Aid Crew, spoke on behalf of the organization Monday and asked the Board to keep the volunteer first aid crew running. He said the group responded to 256 calls last year and only missed one.
“What concerns us most is not only the possibility of closing this organization, but also the impact that decision would have on our citizens,” Bethel said. “Who will provide the same level of care and commitment to our residents?”
Bethel said that what makes the Goshen First Aid Crew special is that its members are a part of the community they serve.
“We know these people personally,” he said. “They are not just patients to us. They are our neighbors, our friends and our community.”
Ramsey told the Board that current Goshen First Aid Crew volunteers would still be able to help out as volunteers with the county. But they would need to go through the county’s application protocols, which include being fingerprinted and undergoing a background check. He said the timeline could vary depending on the volunteer’s prior level of training but could take as little as a month.
Having a combination of paid employees and volunteers is normal, Ramsey told The News-Gazette. All other county rescue departments with career staffers also have volunteers.
Walkers Creek Supervisor Toria Brown, whose district includes Goshen, said at the meeting Monday she wants to see volunteers continue to serve the town and community.
“I’m supportive of the volunteer system, so I would really like to see that pop back up,” Brown said.
Other Board members agreed. Hart said he’s concerned Ramsey’s plan doesn’t provide a clear pathway to reestablish a volunteer organization.
“I don’t think the short-term solution is the correct long-term solution,” he said. “We need to make sure we’re strengthening our volunteer system.”
But Chairman David McDaniel said that restoring a volunteer first aid squad isn’t the county’s responsibility.
“We could do different things to promote it, but it’s got to be homegrown,” he said.
McDaniel suggested that members of Goshen’s volunteer fire department could receive EMS training, allowing both services to be performed by the same volunteers. Ramsey said this could be a possibility, but it would have to be the firefighters’ choice.
“One of the things that I’m cognizant of is creating an additional burden to the volunteers that are handling just the fire portion,” Ramsey told the Board. “If they have folks that would want to become first responders or go that route, they certainly would be able to participate.”
Hart said he’s also concerned about the finances of the proposal.
“We can’t keep adding people to the county staff at a rate faster than the population of the county increases,” Hart said. “We just did our budget, and now we’re adding $300,000 in perpetuity.”
