EMS, police have plenty of gas
Published 12:00 am Saturday, September 3, 2005
Emergency services in the Roanoke-Chowan area are not in jeopardy.
According to officials in Bertie, Hertford and Northampton counties there is no gas shortage that will disrupt services offered to citizens.
&uot;We have received a directive from Raleigh to cut back on unnecessary travel,&uot; Northampton County Emergency Management Coordinator Ron Storey said. &uot;We’ve been trying to do that, but we don’t feel like we’re in any danger of being short on fuel right now.&uot;
Storey said he was advised Friday morning the pipeline was up to 25-35 percent of production and that it was being speculated it could be completely online by Monday.
Northampton County will continue to provide emergency services, but would also do their best to be conservative.
He said the county currently had about 800 gallons for the ambulances and that would provide all they needed for the weekend.
In Bertie County, Emergency Management Director Ricky Freeman said he has been on the telephone Friday morning confirming fuel supply.
&uot;I think people overreacted Thursday and that is why there are some stations out of fuel,&uot; he said.
Freeman also said he has a contingency plan with the Bertie County Schools to get fuel if there were an emergency.
&uot;They have told us that if we get in a real crunch we could get fuel from them until we received emergency fuel from the state,&uot; Freeman said. &uot;They will help us if we get to that point, but I don’t think it will come to that.&uot;
Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughan said every indication he had received was the county was in &uot;good shape&uot; for fuel.
He said the county’s vehicles were fueled at the county’s own gas pump and the tank was filled on Thursday.
&uot;We’re trying to conserve fuel as best we can,&uot; Vaughan said. &uot;We’re going to do our part, but we will not sacrifice service to the citizens of Hertford County.&uot;