WELLSBURG — A local fire chief has expressed concerns about the Brooke County Emergency 911 Center and has gone as far as to request an investigation by the West Virginia Public Service Commission and state Attorney General’s Office.

Franklin Community Fire Chief Gerald McClain has alleged the center, under the direction of the Brooke County Commission, hasn’t complied with state code outlining the operations of an emergency 911 center.

McClain said the center’s dispatchers aren’t fully certified because they haven’t completed a course in emergency medical dispatch.

He said, without it, the dispatchers lack formal training in providing 911 callers with emergency medical instructions, such as directions in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

McClain said the training is “crucial to providing immediate patient care to anyone calling for help. In many critical incidents, these first few minutes are crucial to achieving successful patient outcomes.”

He said the Brooke County 911 center also is not overseen by an advisory board.

Under state code, such a board should consist of firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical providers and representatives of the county and local municipalities, with the center’s director serving as an ex officio member.

McClain, who heads one of the county’s nine volunteer fire departments, has posted a letter of concern on social media.

A.J. Thomas, president of the Brooke County Commission, was called for comment.

Thomas said, “The Brooke County Commission is aware of the recent public letter regarding the operations of the Brooke County 911 Center. While it is true that our dispatchers do not currently hold Emergency Medical Dispatch certification as required under WV Code 24-6-5, steps are being taken to address this issue and bring the center into full compliance.”

“We continue to support our 911 staff, who provide essential, life-saving services to the public every day. Immediately after being made aware, the commission formally notified both the West Virginia Public Service Commission and the West Virginia E-911 Council of the certification issue and our plan to resolve it. We are committed to transparency, accountability, and maintaining a reliable emergency response system for Brooke County,” said Thomas.

Regarding an advisory board for the 911 center, he said, “Apparently one existed prior to my time on the commission, but essentially stopped meeting due to insufficient attendance. I plan on gathering information from prior years’ meeting minutes to delve into the issue further, even to see who had been previous members.”