Bob Crane spent more than 60 years volunteering with the Stanley Hose Company in Sherman.

The Sherman man responded to thousands of EMS calls over his time, earning the moniker of “Sherman’s Security Blanket” after his retirement in a letter written by the fire company after Crane’s retirement. Crane is the type of volunteer that’s hard to replace. Crane left large shoes to fill. He’s an exemplary example of the value of community volunteers. He’s so hard to replace, in fact, that Chautauqua County is helping to fill the gap created by Crane’s retirement.

“Following the retirement last year of Medic Bob Crane, who proudly served the Stanley Hose Company for 60 years–this helps fill a gap in ALS coverage for the citizens in that area that Bob provided for so long,” Chautauqua County EMS said in a Facebook post announcing the stationing of a fly car at the Clymer Fire Department. “We hope to continue that safety blanket Bob provided to the western part of the county and make him proud.”

There has been a lot of debate over the past couple of years regarding Chautauqua County’s budget surplus.

There will be a lot of opinions on how to best spend – or not spend – the $40 million fund balance. But one thing everything should be able to agree on is the way the county’s financial strength is allowing the county to expand its fly car system. The system has expanded over the past few years, with the most recent expansion coming with a fly car based at the Clymer Fire Department to help provide support to volunteer fire departments in the western part of the county.

If the county’s budget weren’t healthy, there would have been a healthy debate over whether or not to expand the fly car system. There would have been debate about the cost of adding equipment and staff even though there is no debate that the fly car system has been a success despite early financial losses. Those are the types of discussions you have when your financial status is shaky. It’s why any spending in Jamestown, Dunkirk or Fredonia are hotly debated while the county can expand a program with nary a whisper.