2020 was full of so many things I never thought I’d see:

An update on COVID-19:

I am typing this on Christmas Eve and there are 321 Nelson County cases. By the time you read this, the number will likely exceed 400. It’s moving that fast. This is no longer the disease that is affecting other places. We have been lucky for a very long time.

Augusta County recently hosted a virtual town hall for first responders. The panel was comprised of emergency physicians and leaders from the Virginia Department of Health. Two questions were asked that may be of interest to you.

Q – Which vaccine should I take?

A – The first one you can get.

Q – Should I be concerned about possible long-term side effects from the vaccine.

A – It is a legitimate concern. We do not have an abundance of data. We do have a lot of data about “long- haul” symptoms for folks who become infected with Covid-19. It’s very difficult to imagine the vaccine presenting more of a risk than the disease. For many people, the lasting effects of Covid-19 are significant.

• I never thought we would keep our stations closed to avoid constituent contact.

• I never thought the community would stop everything to make face masks by the hundreds.

• I never thought that one of my primary questions when purchasing firefighting air-packs would be, “How well will these work on medical calls?”

• I never thought we would instruct 9-1-1 callers to meet us in their front yard.

• I never thought the leading cause of death in any given year could be something we had not heard of on January 1 of that same year.

We have a lot of work to do in 2021. We start the year with a significant deficit in staffing levels. Our medics frequently use Wintergreen as a bit of a stepping stone. We are accustomed to them passing through on their way to bigger departments. We have never had multiple medics leave the industry in the same year. They aren’t just leaving Wintergreen, they’re leaving the entire industry. People are calculating the risks, and for the safety of their families, they are ending their EMS careers. It makes sense, it is just not something we ever anticipated. Paramedic schools halted training during the pandemic and still have not fully resumed, and there is a serious shortage of candidates. This is a national problem. We will all work a bit harder and we will eventually reset.

At the end of 2020, we said goodbye to Ralph Bickley who retired after 28 years of service to Wintergreen Fire & Rescue. We wish Ralph the very best. He has responded to thousands of emergencies in our community and has saved a lot of lives.

Our fund drives are thankfully on track. Of our 3,500 property owners, nearly 750 have contributed. The average donation size is $210. We have spent over $20,000 on masks and gowns since the beginning of Covid-19. That’s nearly double what we would typically spend on all of our medical supplies. We have hundreds of new property owners. We’re working to make sure they understand that our operating and capital expenses are not covered by WPOA dues, but rather through private donations.

Next year the Rescue Squad will focus on upgrading the tools we use to cut apart cars. Our existing tool system is approximately 15-years-old and relies on a heavy gasoline-powered pump. The pump is connected to the tool by a 100-foot-long hose. The new systems are powered by batteries contained within the tool. No need for hoses. We are a little late to this party. Most agencies have switched already.

Towards the end of 2021 we will also get started replacing an ambulance. It takes about six months to replace one. Two of our units are 2012 models. Whichever one performs worst over the coming year is the one we will replace.

Our Fire Department will spend the year trying to build its reserves. I almost hate to disclose that because our fund drives perform the poorest when there is not an immediate project pending. The next major fire department project is to replace Engine 62 and was made in 1996. Once we place an order for a replacement, the “build time” can be as long as a year. We cannot place the order until we have at least $300,000 to use as a down payment. We currently have $185,000. If all goes well, in a year I will be able to report that the engine has been ordered.

Stay safe in 2021. – Curtis Sheets, Chief, Wintergreen Fire & Rescue