Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad

Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad
Founded May 1, 1952 (1952-05-01)
Focus Committed Leadership and Membership
Public and Private Investment
Continuous Education
State of the Art Equipment
Location
  • Virginia Beach, VA
Method 10 ALS-certified ambulances
1 ALS-certified heavy response squad truck
2 BLS rapid-response carts
Members
200+
Subsidiaries Station 14
Station 8
Mission As members of the all volunteer Virginia Beach Rescue Squad, Inc., we dedicate our efforts to saving lives, delivering quality emergency medical services, and providing community education and safety.

The Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad is one of the ten volunteer rescue squads of the City of Virginia Beach, Department of EMS (Emergency Medical Services) that serve as the medical emergency response to the citizens and visitors of Virginia Beach. This is the largest all-volunteer based EMS system in the United States. Each rescue squad is housed in an EMS/Fire station with the exception of four privately owned rescue stations, including the two owned by VBVRS.

Founding

Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad started in 1952 after attorney J. Peter Holland III came on to a car accident at 24th street and Atlantic Avenue and was unable to receive timely help because the fire department's ambulance was disabled.[1] Holland gathered people in the community to start a volunteer rescue squad. The group took a trip to Fredericksburg, who already had a working volunteer system. The group went to the city and received $500 to start the rescue squad. On May 1, 1952, Princess Anne-Virginia Beach Rescue started operations. In the 1960s the city found the need for more rescue squads and requested the new squads operate within the fire departments. Virginia Beach-Princess Anne Rescue opted to remain its own independent squad. This squad is now known as Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad or unofficially as Rescue 14. In the 1970s more members were needed and for the first time, women were allowed to volunteer with the rescue squads.

Membership

There are two types of members in Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad, with two distinct sets of responsibilities.

Operational

The operational members of VBVRS are Emergency Medical Technicians certified at every level (Basic, Enhanced/Advanced, Intermediate, and Paramedic) and are charged with responding to any medical emergency to which they are dispatched. Members typically staff VBVRS owned ambulances but may also staff Department of EMS zone cars depending on certification and citywide needs.

Duty Shifts

To remain active, operational members must run a minimum of 48 hours of ambulance duty each month. This is generally accomplished via four 12‐hour shifts that run from 6am - 6pm or vice versa, but some members opt to do other shift variations. Members are typically scheduled to run out of a VBVRS station, but ultimately serve the Department of EMS in general and may be sent to any part of Virginia Beach.

Standby Events

In addition to the mandatory shifts, VBVRS is often contracted to have a medical presence at various events across the City of Virginia Beach. These events include everything from races and community outreach events to concerts and exhibitions. Depending on the scale of the event, VBVRS may supply multiple ambulances and coordinate medical coverage across multiple agencies to ensure participant safety.

Administrative

The role of the administrative members is, in general, to support the day-to-day running of VBVRS and to meet any needs of the station that arise. Administrative members often help plan larger VBVRS events, such as the fund-raising Oyster Roast or Fund Drive, but also do much of the behind-the-scenes work that allows VBVRS to run smoothly and efficiently including vehicle maintenance, supply management, office management and more.

Leadership Organization

With over 200 active members, VBVRS has developed a tiered organizational structure to ensure adequate dedication of time to each of the many facets of the organization, both operational and administrative. Executive Committee officers are voted in by the membership, and operational and administrative officers are appointed by the respective captains. An elected parliamentarian oversees the meetings, and an elected advisory board helps guide the direction of VBVRS. In addition to the positions listed below, sergeants may be appointed to assist with any aspect of VBVRS.

Executive Committee

Administrative Officers

Operational Officers

Stations

The current Station 14, the first building opened by VBVRS, located off of Virginia Beach Boulevard in Virginia Beach, VA

Station 14

Since its founding, the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad has operated out of a station located adjacent to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront to serve the tourists visiting the city as well as the residents. In November 1995, the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad moved from 408 20th Street to 740 Virginia Beach Boulevard. This new state-of-the-art facility provides ample room for equipment, training, sleeping and exercise accommodations for members, as well as meeting rooms used for VBVRS functions and community activities. The garage at Station 14 has 8 bays, which is capable of housing four ambulances, a heavy response truck, the 1972 VBVRS cadillac mainly used in parades, and the various support vehicles. Station 14 also serves as the base for the Department of EMS's Marine Rescue Team, which maintains its primary squad room/bunk room, along with 2 trucks there.

Station 8

Station 8, the second building opened by VBVRS, located off of Old Donation Parkway near Virginia Beach General Hospital in Virginia Beach, VA.

In the late 2000s, as a result of private donations, VBVRS was able to finance the building and opening of this substation, Station 8. Like Station 14, Station 8 is a free-standing rescue squad, with all of the amenities included in Station 14. There are six bays in the garage at Station 8, which is capable of holding four ambulances in addition to a rapid response paramedic zone car and a field supervisor vehicle.

References

  1. ↑ "History | Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad". www.vbvrs.org. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/13/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.