Orange County rescue to be reinstated

ORANGE COUNTY The Orange County Rescue Squad was sidelined for six months after safety complaints were filed against some of its members.

Before June, you'd see them with volunteer crews helping to pull people out of bad wrecks.

They haven't seen much action lately, since the county's EMS director ordered the squad to stand down in June.

Back then, the county decided it no longer needed help from the squad's volunteer rescuers.

But starting Monday, they will be called on during major emergencies in Orange County.

"Emergency services is looking for the rescue squad to be able to come in, set up a command center and be fully operational," Orange County Rescue Squad Brian Matthews said.

They'll also help out on wilderness searches --something they've already done on a missing mom case in a nearby county.

"Working in Granville County with the Currin family, helping to search for their daughter for about two months now, or two and a half months," Matthews said.

When Eyewitness News asked Chief Matthews why the rescue squad waited nearly six months to resume their duties, since they are volunteers and could do something else, the chief said "it's just a dedication to serving the community and helping people."

Earlier this year, county authorities supported placing limits on the rescue squad's ability to help in some situations, because some county agencies did the same kind of work.

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