A shortage of volunteers to man local fire companies and ambulance units has the Schuylkill County commissioners concerned.

The commissioners discussed a recent Emergency Medical Services meeting at their weekly meeting Wednesday morning.

“The main issue is membership,” said Commissioner Larry Padora. “We are trying to come up with solutions. It’s not an issue until you call 9-1-1 and no one shows up. The problem is across the board, with fire companies and ambulances. We are trying to find ways around the problem.”

Commissioner Barron “Boots” Hetherington said as an example, the Shenandoah Ambulance is covering 12 municipalities on the northern end of the county.

“They are going into Mount Carmel,” Hetherington said. “They are also going into Northumberland, Berks and Dauphin counties.”

Commissioner Gary Hess said one solution could rest with youth.

“This problem is not just here, but across all 67 counties of Pennsylvania,” Hess said. “We are at a crisis. We have to have education involved. We have to get into the schools to get younger people involved. Next year, Pottsville and Blue Mountain (school districts) are going to offer a course next year that could lead to the nursing field.”

Revamp of soil conservation

The commissioners took action Wednesday to revamp the county’s soil conservation district.

Acting as the county salary board, the commissioners voted to vacate 14 positions in the soil conservation office, and create four positions in the county parks and recreation department - supervisor, assistant parks and recreation supervisor, and two boat rental clerks.

Drew Kline of Washington Township was appointed to the supervisor post at a salary of $26.63 per hour. Robert Evanchulk of Washington Township was appointed to the assistant post at a salary of $15.45 per hour, and Dana Giuz of Pine Grove Township and Nicholas Rowe of Lykens were appointed boat rental clerks at $10.30 per hour.

Hess sits on the Soil Conservation board.

“This has been an almost two-year process,” Hess said. “Over the years, the district has done so much good with a small but mighty staff. They would get very able interns they could not keep, because they could not pay them.”

Padora said the employees will be paid by grants instead of the county going forward. Although this year, it will be split with grants and the county.

“Before we made this change, we asked the employees if they were in favor of it,” Padora said. “They all said they were in favor of it.”