GLEN SPEY, NY — County legislative chairman Luis Alvarez, as he does every year, recounted and summarized his January “state of the county” speech before the Lumberland Town Board on April 10.

 It was an update as well as a summary. The January version had begun with the county’s laudable economic growth, having “led the entire state in job growth and [job] creation” for almost a year, while “basically at full employment.”

With the upcoming Woodstock Festival 50th anniversary celebration and some eight million visitors on his mind, his summary began last week with the county’s shortage of volunteer firefighters and its effort “to invent an EMS system that works.”

In January, EMS did not appear until page five of Alvarez comments. “911 Coordinator Alex Rau will now serve as our EMS Coordinator as well, and, under his leadership, I expect our emergency medical responders will find more support and more collaboration when they need it; we’re also dedicating $50,000 dollars to study ways to improve ambulance services Countywide.”

So far, he said that has not happened. “We don’t have the volunteers,” especially in the northerly towns. The local agencies are “… not legally interfacing. The county will take over. The first meeting to make that happen is scheduled for April 18.

Sullivan will also be calling out the militia, so to speak, to supplement law enforcement. “We’re going to have to support the [local] constables,” who will be called on to further supplement the sheriff’s department. “The towns can’t pay for this. The Sheriff is trying to absorb this [cost]. The county will do the training,” he said. The various town attorneys will be asked to review and approve needed intergovernmental agreements.

Asked what the backup plan was if volunteers don’t come forward, Alvarez said “That’s a good question. We may be forced to use paid services,” he said.

In town business, the board approved: five highway stone bids, for use at the highway superintendent’s discretion, approved a $1,100 summer river-edge trash collection contract for Ann Steimle, new application permit use forms for group use of the Circle Park and the picnic pavilion, noted appointment of Ashley Donahue to the vacant supervisor’s clerk position and approved the draft layout for a new building department brochure.