by Megan Schiffres
The Northumberland board of supervisors on November 8 appropriated funds to volunteer squads in the county using a new contribution structure outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) issued by the board last summer.
The board issued the MOU when they voted to hire a second paid crew for the county in June, after a report from the chief of emergency services showed volunteer squads in the county had failed to respond to a significant portion of 911 calls over the past two years.
The MOU restructured the county’s contribution to volunteer squads by providing a financial incentive for squads to respond to emergency service calls. Under the MOU, the board of supervisors provides an annual contribution of…