Officials debate whether ambulances should automatically respond to reported gas leaks

A representative of Blacksburg fire operations proposed that ambulances not be dispatched automatically to every reported gas-leak call unless there is evidence of patient need or an on-scene hazard.

"We average about 70 gas leak calls a year in Blacksburg, and almost all of them are skunks or fog or a leaking water pipe," the speaker said, arguing that routine ambulance dispatches tie up resources. The speaker said records show very few transports resulting from those calls and advocated tailoring responses by call type.

Several commission members and chiefs pushed back on changing the default. "The only thing that Chief Hanks had a problem with was just like the explosion that happened up in Northern Virginia last year where the firefighter was killed," one commissioner said, citing safety concerns and the value of having EMS staged nearby. Other participants recommended staging EMS off-site if ambulances are dispatched concurrently, or developing more precise call categories with the 9-1-1 center so indoor versus outdoor gas reports receive different responses.

Speakers acknowledged that the county's varied geography and response times complicate a one-size-fits-all rule: calls close to stations differ from incidents 30 minutes away. The Blacksburg representative said the recommendation was specific to Blacksburg's operations and asked the commission for input to reduce inconsistent practices across the county.

The Chair tabled further action for now. No motion to change countywide dispatch policy was made at the meeting.