Bedford board OKs stipends for county fire, EMS volunteers [Video]

BEDFORD — Volunteers for Bedford County’s fire and emergency medical services departments can expect a stipend as part of incentives county officials are enacting to support volunteer services in the county’s communities.

The Bedford County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to approve an incentive sliding scale stipend program. The credit plan assigns three points per call responded to by fire and EMS volunteers.

“This system enables volunteers to accumulate points based on their participants, which are then used to calculate stipends,” a staff report to the board states. “By awarding points per call, the plan incentivizes engagement in emergency responses, while ensuring volunteers are awarded for their service.”

Stipends will be processed and distributed on an annual basis in the last quarter of the year.

“The sliding scale approach not only supports volunteer retention, but encourages participation, while helping to maintain services to the community,” the report states. “Points …