Response Time

scottb@herald-mail.com The Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday decided by consensus not to pursue a state proposal to change parts of the left-most travel lanes into parking spaces along West Franklin and West Washington streets between Burhans Boulevard and West Side Avenue. Council members decided against the proposal at the suggestion of Hagerstown City Engineer Rodney Tissue. While the change would add parking spaces and might reduce the number of people speeding, it could also increase the number of pedestrian and car accidents, Tissue said.

MAUGANSVILLE - After 12 years of fund raising, the Maugansville Goodwill Fire Department has purchased a new $254,000 rescue squad vehicle that will cut the response time by nine minutes to accidents in which victims must be extricated from automobiles, buildings or machinery, firefighters said. The rescue squad vehicle is used to carry extrication equipment and up to six passengers to rescue victims, said Maugansville Chief Phil Ridenour. "We've been saving for this for a long time.

HAGERSTOWN - A health scare in downtown Hagerstown on Wednesday grew out of a language barrier. A Hagerstown Police officer thought that African refugees living in a West Franklin Street apartment building were sick. Fearing a dangerous illness, officials quarantined the building and set up decontamination tents. The refugees didn't speak English and couldn't tell the officer that they were OK. Reviewing the incident on Thursday, Hagerstown Fire Department Chief Gary Hawbaker said emergency personnel are not told where refugees are living in the city or whether they can communicate with first responders.

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Doug Pittinger, the ambulance chief of the Shepherdstown Fire Department for about the past 13 years, submitted his resignation this week "in protest of the perception that the Fire Department does not fully support the emergency medical services (EMS) program," according to a department statement. Assistant Chief Leslie Simpson will serve as acting chief until an election in September, said Dave Donohue, a firefighter, paramedic and the public information officer for the department.

Edward Jones The six local Edward Jones investment representatives will host a free one-hour satellite broadcast, "Growing Your Business in a Wal-Mart World," Tuesday, July 12, at 11:30 a.m. The broadcast features Michael Bergdahl, author of "What I learned from Sam Walton: How to Compete and Thrive in a Wal-Mart world. " Bergdahl will share experiences he obtained working side-by-side with Sam Walton. He also will discuss: The P.O.C.K.E.T.S. strategy. How smaller businesses can stay competitive.

HAGERSTOWN - A Hagerstown developer received the city council's unofficial approval on Tuesday to stage a party this October in the downtown. Only Councilwoman Penny M. Nigh said she was opposed to developer Mike Deming's plan of closing the square Oct. 20 to hold Downtown Live. South Potomac Street would be closed to Antietam Street as well. This would be the party's second year if the council officially sanctions the event during a June 19 voting session. By blocking off the streets to traffic, Nigh said public safety vehicles would have a more difficult time responding to emergencies.

Employee residency rules to ease on Oct. 1 City of Hagerstown employees will no longer have to live in Maryland starting Oct. 1, although some city officials don't agree like the idea. City officials said they would approve a new residency requirement that doesn't address general city employees, but that continues to direct that the city administrator and newly hired department managers must live in the city. Legislators approved a law last spring that will allow local government employees to live outside Maryland.

Beyond the fire/rescue report: Important 'next steps' to take After hearing a long-awaited report on Washington County's fire and rescue services, Commissioners' President Greg Snook has asked for a meeting to decide which of the recommendations to implement and how to pay for them. Two areas need some immediate attention. A paid consultant studied the system in 1998 and 1999 and produced a large report with more than 100 recommendations. The report was then reviewed by a citizens group - the Emergency Services Council, which winnowed the Carroll Buracker & Associates report down to about 30 suggestions, which ESC presented Feb. 13 - with no priorities attached.

In the latest clash between Community Rescue Service and the Washington County Commissioners, there are no good guys, just officials who seem to have forgotten that this is not about who prevails, but protecting the lives and health of local residents. Joe Kroboth, the county's director of emergency services, on Wednesday said that the county never agreed to renew the $50,000 subsidy it gave CRS in the current year and instructed CRS to remove the amount from its budget. Kroboth also defend the commissioners' Tuesday decision to split a $227,748 state grant equally among the county's 27 fire and rescue companies.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Officers with the Berkeley County Sheriffs Department are trying to resurrect their K-9 program, and are starting by seeking $50,000 in state money to buy two dogs, a car and other equipment. When officers need assistance from a K-9 now, they must call either the Martinsburg Police Department or a deputy reserve officer with a bloodhound. Having their own dog could cut down on response time, and also prevent other dogs from being overworked, said sheriffs department Chief Deputy Kenneth Lemaster.