With the majority of the Charlottsville Fire Department's personnel living with me in Fluvanna, how come they are not worried about the lack of service that their taxes pay for? I know they all need a job, but how can they want this level of service for the people where they work and not even care about the level of service that will help them or their family in a time of need. Last Friday Albemarle County had to come and help on a bad wreck. Millions here, millions there, why don't you all put some effort into getting us some help at home. Those people in Charlottesville have been fine up until now, I just wish caring for your own families and neighbors would motivate you all as much as buying new pickup trucks.

If you take some time and get your facts correct, you will find that most of the individuals in which you are referring are helping in your area. Many volunteer their service and experience to the local fire stations in your area. Also many of them serve as Chief Officers in those departments. If you wish to look further you can start at Lake Monticello Fire Dept and Palmyra Fire Dept for your area. But if you would like to look even further you can look in Albemarle, Greene, Nelson, Orange, Louisa and even Culpepper to find city firefighters giving many hours to the volunteer system in their areas.

Thank you for your time to all who are paid and volunteer.

Like FLUCO I live in Fluvanna. While the situation in Charlottesville is of interest, it makes me want to know more about what my taxes get me in terms of EMS in my county. DO we pay Albemarle County for Fire and Rescue services? I often see a blue and white SUV and a red and gold SUV from Albemarle rushing up and down Route 53, well into Fluvanna. Am I paying for another county to take care of me?

It appears that some people who live in Fluvanna County don't know enough about their own community. As the Assistant Chief for the Palmyra Fire Company, please allow me to inform you. First of all, FLUCO, I assure you that quite a few paid firefighters who live in this county do indeed volunteer their time here, in Fluvanna, on their days off. I am one of those who is paid in another locality and volunteer my time to my community. In Palmyra, we have 3 members who are paid firefighters in another locality and one who is a retired firefighter. We even have a sheriff's deputy, and a jail guard or two who volunteer on their days off. Lake Monticello has quite a few paid firefighters who volunteer as does the rescue squad. As for your accident, I extend my condolences to you. But perhaps your accident did not occur in Fluvanna. According to my research, there was no accident last Friday (Mar. 23 I presume) in Fluvanna that required a fire/rescue response. At least there were none dispatched. And there are areas in the county where we have automatic aid agreements with adjoining counties; they help us and we help them. All volunteers in Fluvanna care for their families and neighbors, even those that get paid to do the job elsewhere. May I ask, do you volunteer?

In response to Lake Person, you are not paying for assistance from Albemarle. If you see a blue and white or red and gold vehicle in Fluvanna it's the Albemarle Department of Fire/Rescue providing advanced life support assistance to a Fluvanna Rescue Squad. Quite often, the crew on a call needs more advanced help than they can provide and we call for help from Charlottesville and Albemarle. The vehicles you see are paid Albemarle personnel. We do receive help from the Charlottesville/Albemarle Rescue Squad as well.

It's a shame that the situation between the Charlottesville Fire Dept. and the Charlottesville/Albemarle Rescue Squad is being used to disparage the dedicated volunteers in Fluvanna, regardless of their profession. That situation has nothing to do with what goes on in Fluvanna County.

Re: FLUCO

It has come to my attention that the accident you're referring may have occurred on Friday Mar. 16 instead of last Friday. If that's the case then you truly do have my thoughts and prayers because it was a horrible accident. I was there along with two other volunteers who are paid firefighters elsewhere. We did request assistance from the Charlottesville/Albemarle Rescue Squad for an additional ambulance with advanced life support to transport a critically inured patient. There were two Fluvanna fire companies, a Louisa Fire company, and three Fluvanna ambulances. There was a paid Albemarle ALS provider there that was not requested but responded on his own decision. We are grateful for his help because our resources were stretched thin.

If you or anyone else has any questions about fire and EMS issues in Fluvanna feel free to email me and I'll answer what questions I can or refer you to the proper person. And I urge everyone, volunteer! Get involved! We can always use more help.

How did the Albemarle Fire Rescue administration find a way to cooperate and help CARS but the City Fire administration has chosen to attack them? Where are the discussions on how to contribute to the system versus creating a new system for themselves?

The city did ask to do the same thing as the Paid County firefighters working in CARS now and were told NO by CARS... HOW can a place say they are all Volunteer when most every piece has paid county fire/rescue personel riding on it? Just asking. I though I lived in the city but the other day when the rescue unit came to the house next door every person on the unit had Albermarle County Fire/Rescue on thier shirt!!! Again Just asking?

Yes, how did Albemarle Fire/Rescue find a way? Why is it that CARS chose to allow them in the station but has continually rebuked the city fire department on the same offer? If CARS doesn't have a problem with staffing then why did they feel the need to go to firefighters in Chesterfield and ask them to come up and staff their building during the day? Why didn't they approach the city firefighters that work with them evey day? And don't deny that happened because it's common knowledge that it most certainly did. Why did Larry Claytor send a letter to the BOS saying that they do indeed have staffing problems and turn right around in this debate and say they don't? The city is trying to do no different than what the county has done; add additional resources to the system to ensure that their citizens are protected. And trust me, billing for service is being discussed on a regional basis. So, yes, if the city bills for service you can rest assured EVERYONE will be billing for service. Even CARS. By the way, county paid medics have been running calls in CARS ambulances in the city for quite some time now. Larry Claytor shold be careful about saying that CARS was not aware of any problems and that the city has not shared this with them. It was being discussed long before this budget proposal. Perhaps those under him running things on a daily basis are not sharing with him. Be careful about those stances. This is an election year...

Is that how CARS got the paid help? Did Larry Claytor send a letter to the BOS as you refer to asking for staffing help and then tell media CARS had no idea of a problem. If this is true it should be made public because I don't want someone who bend truthfulness as a public official in my county.

ACFR asked CARS a few years ago if they could send one experienced medic, and new medics to their station for precepting hours. CARS agreed, and I feel saw the difference that it was making on the amount of units they could staff day to day with medics. Shortly after, their was a letter that was sent to the county BOS that has been said asks for more help. ACFR then requested through their budget process 3 additional medics for CARS that year, I'm not sure which budget year that was, but there are records on the county"s web site if you would like to look. I'm sure if more county residents knew that their tax dollars were funding paid medics to run calls in the city, they would not be silent. Considering their tax a rate is outrageous as well. I pesonally have not seen the letter but do beleive it does exist. CARS needed help then and they still need help today. Adding more medics and ambulances to the cuurent system is a good thing. So many people in the community have made this a personal issue and an issue of billing and taxes. It is most definitly is not either of those. It is an issue of serving the public, and having ambulances ready to respond immediately when needed. CARS is, and will continue to be a great organization. It has highly trained people willing to donate their time, and energy to serving others. No one from CFD has said anyhting but just that. No one is trying to elminate CARS from running calls or from fundraising. Please understand giving CARS money will not put staffing on the street. They don't need ambulances they need people to ride in them. In regards to Larry Claytor he is not being 100% honest with the media, or the community. In the Albemarle county race for sheriff, which will be a close race. Neither opponent can aford to give votes to the other through dishonesty or polictical mistakes. I feel candiate Claytor has done just that with his statements on this issue and his opponent is watching. Dishonesty is not an admerable trait for a Sheriff.

if larry claytor is so concerned about the citizens of Charlottesville,why is he always absent from city council meetings.But maybe all he is worried about is the money CARS takes in and not about patient care.

The above staements are my personal beliefs. Please forgive me I made a mistake which I would like to correct. I feel Mr.Claytor is not being 100% honest with the community or the media. I do not content that he is being dishonest with his statements.