VIRGINIA LIFELINE MARCH / APRIL 2014
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CVFR Speaks Up for PTSD Service Dogs Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue members Ryan Rankins (left) and Administrative Chief Kevin Dillard (center) and Ryan's Service Dog, Madeline, met with Senator Bryce E. Reeves (R-District 17) to discuss the Senator's bill to broaden the state's definition of Service Dogs for veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The goal of the bill is for PTSD Service Dogs like Madeline to be recognized and covered under the same laws as those for Seeing-Eye Dogs. Senator Reeves is also reviewing criteria for how someone with a Service Dog can still be involved in Fire and EMS work.
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2013-2014 VAVRS Officers and Office Staff President Rickey Hodge Vice President Connie Moore Secretary Scott Davis Treasurer Steve Grayson Training Officer Cecil Leach Chaplain Darleen Ferguson Historian Dreama Chandler Editor Gary Dalton Legal Advisor S. Craig Lane Parliamentarian J. C. Phillips Lobbyist Ed Rhodes Immediate Past President Edward B. Bish Jr. Medical Advisor James R. Dudley, MD, MBA
District 1 V. P. Steve Southworth District 2 V. P. Carolyn White District 3 V. P. Kenny Frenier District 4 V. P. Gary Dalton District 5 V. P. L. Frank Smith District 6 V. P. Doug Adams District 7 V. P. Coby Fizer District 8 V. P. Steven Reynolds District 9 V. P. Darrell Beavers District 10 V. P. George Langford Office Manager Frances Brooks Training Coordinator Kathy Eubank Administrative Secretary Shirley Bagby
2013-2014 VAVRS Committee Chairs Nominating: Bruce Stratton Membership: Connie Moore VRSAWG: Bruce Edwards VRSAWG: Gary Dalton VRSAWG: Karen Wagner By-Laws: Bruce Edwards Lifeline: Gary Dalton Conference: Ford Wirt Camporee: Ronnie Slough Finance: Steve Grayson Scholarship: Carolyn Brand EMS Memorial: Kevin Dillard Grant: Elizabeth Papelino Facility Manager: Lin Matthews Web Page: Gary Dalton
Legislative: Dreama Chandler Legislative: Edward B. "Bubby" Bish Jr. Rescue College: Rickey Hodge Rescue College: Wayne Myers Human Resources: Connie Moore Life Membership: Ronnie Slough Rescue Hall of Fame: Ford Wirt EMS Advisory Board: Dreama Chandler EMS Advisory Board: Wayne Myers Strategic Planning: Karen Wagner New Course Development: Wayne Myers Recruitment and Retention: Fran Phillips Recruitment and Retention: Bobby Hill Volunteer Management: A. Page Entsminger EMS Exchange Program: Jane Laverne
2013-2014 VAJVRS Officers President Cora Fearnow District 4 VP Connor Smith Vice President Victoria Gaudin District 7 VP Patrick Jones Secretary/Treasurer Elizabeth Pittman Advisor, Chair Alfred Smith Chaplain Montana Looney Advisor Brandon Baugus Historian Danielle McCormick Advisor Woody Conner District 1 VP Emily Snyder Advisor Micky Grodski District 3 VP Cora Fearnow Advisor Steve Dove Official
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2013-2014 AVAVRS Officers President - Sharon Campbell Immediate Past President - Fern Puckett Vice President - Harry Householder Midwestern VP - Nancy Linkous Secretary - Dolores Hudson Northeastern VP - Debbie Smallwood Treasurer - Patsy Wingfield Southcentral VP - Clara Craig Chaplain - Ailease Short Southeastern VP - Fay Browning Historian - Linda Berkstresser Southwestern VP - Valarie Becker Parliamentarian - Maxie Skeen Western VP - Debbie Rohr
For a complete list of the current courses being offered by the VAVRS—go to
2013-2014 AVAVRS Committee Chairs Conference: Vickie Arnold Conference: Sheila Gordon Nominating: Ruth Swicegood Life Membership: Carolyn Brand Emergency Care: Laura Booze Resolutions: Maxie Skeen
Membership: Harry Householder Finance: Patsy Wingfield Roll Call: Donna Porter Roll Call: Valarie Becker Fundraising: Stacey Frame
Deadline for the Upcoming Issues of the VIRGINIA LIFELINE Articles may be submitted by any member of the VAVRS, AVAVRS and VAJVRS. Feature articles are encouraged. Photos and/or graphics are acceptable and can be returned if requested. Contact the Editor if you need assistance in writing an article at gdalton@vavrs.com Deadline for future issues as follows: April 10, 2014 for May/June Issue June 10, 2014 for July/August Issue August 10, 2014 for September/October Issue September 1, 2014 for Conference Issue
THE VIRGINIA LIFELINE ISSN 0279-6023 is the official bimonthly publication of the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads, Inc. Editorial material should be sent directly to the VAVRS Editor at P O Box 522 Woodstock, VA 22664 (H) 540-459-4849 (W) 540-536-2758 (FAX) 540-459-4925 (C) 540-481-0125 Email-gdalton@vavrs.com Requests for advertising rates, material specifications and deadlines should be directed to the Editor.
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Oh, The Places We Have Been and Are Going Submitted by Sharon Campbell, AVAVRS President I am sitting here tonight watching the weather predictions for the next few days. I don’t know about you but I am truly ready for spring. Things have been fairly quiet around the state but it is that time of year when installations are held. If your Auxiliary has elected new officers for the coming year or if your information has changed, please let Dolores Hudson and myself know so that you will not miss important information concerning upcoming events. I was scheduled to go to Waynesboro on January 4th but the entire area had an electrical blackout and the event had to be postponed until March 1st. Staunton Augusta had their installation on January 11th and thankfully Patsy Wingfield was able to attend for me as I was under the weather. I traveled to Colonial Heights on January 18th to install the Bensley Bermuda Auxiliary officers. Their hospitality was certainly
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appreciated. January 21st, Patsy Wingfield and I were lucky enough to attend the Virginia General Assembly with VAVRS President, Rickey Hodge, as well as several other VAVRS Officers. We also met with many of the delegates to discuss upcoming bills that would affect the association. We felt special as the delegates gave us a standing ovation. Snow greeted us as we left to go back to the hotel; although the next day was cold the roads were clear. On our trip home, Patsy and I went by the State office to go over questions with Frances, Kathy and Shirley. We had lunch with them and tried to clean and rearrange some things in the AVAVRS storage room. February 1st I attended the VAVRS Executive meeting in Buena Vista. The members of the Buena Vista Auxiliary served us a delicious lunch and I got to visit with them for a short period of time. There are many things going on around the state in the upcoming months. April 5th the Spring Officers’ Workshop
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will be held in Bristol at the Holiday Inn. If you have any thing that you feel needs to be addressed, contact me so that it can be added to the agenda. All Auxiliary Presidents are invited to this meeting but please let me know if you plan to attend so that we will have enough seating. May 16th and 17th the VAVRS Camporee will be held in Buena Vista at Glen Maury Park. My idea of camping is a Holiday Inn but for those who enjoy it, camping is available or there is a motel in Buena Vista or other motels a short distance away in Lexington. There are some great stores in the area and history buffs will be kept busy exploring. Friday night is a cookout with all food provided. Ronnie Sough has asked if members of the AVAVRS could provide desserts for all of the guests. Let’s get our recipe books out and show everyone that the AVAVRS members know how to make delicious desserts. The VAJVRS has some fun things planned for those attending so it sounds like a fun week-end.
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Rescue College is also on the horizon. The Auxiliary Management Class will be held June 13th and 14th at The Inn of Virginia Tech. The brochure is on-line and registration closes on Monday, April 14th. A $50.00 administrative fee is required but please remember this allows you to take any of the classes offered from June 5th to June 15th. I hope to see
you there as we have two fun filled days planned with new and exciting things to learn and discuss. Friday night is always great as we have a delicious picnic (free to all college attendees), some great door prizes are given out and it is a beautiful place to relax and enjoy each other’s company.
Mark those calendars now and I hope to see each of you at the upcoming events.
2014 VAVRS CAMPOREE - Glen Maury Park, Buena Vista
May 15, 16 and 17
For details go to www.vavrs.com Page
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Waynesboro FAC Auxiliary Submitted by CeCe McCormick
activities as well as refreshments for all. We had our annual Christmas dinner for Vector Industries, a physical and mentally challenged shelter workshop. We have been giving them a dinner for over 20 years and they look forward to it every year because they love our mac and cheese. We also hosted the Waynesboro Public Schools Health Fair this year and provided donuts and a light lunch. For one of our fund raisers, we hosted a dinner for a motorcycle club during Christmas. We served about 60 people. We had a good little crowd for our annual New Year’s Eve party at the building with crew members/family and auxiliary. We had a power outage which canceled our annual awards banquet on January 4th, so we opened our
Hello everyone from Waynesboro's Auxiliary. We all hope everyone is staying warm despite the cold weather we are having. At the end of November we visited the only living charter member of the WFAC Auxiliary, Mary Senger (Mom), who turned 97 years young and is in pretty good health. Each of us try to go see her at her home a few times a year. She loves talking about the old days in the Auxiliary. In December we helped decorate the ambulances that were entered into the Waynesboro's City Christmas Parade and a good time was had by all. We also had our children's party. With Santa in tow, we gave out gift cards and had children games and
2014 AVAVRS Scrapbook Competition Each year the AVAVRS President picks a theme. You may or may not follow this theme. This year AVAVRS President Sharon Campbell has chosen:
“Oh, the Places We Go Together”
For rules for the competition visit www.vavrs.com DEADLINE – SCRAPBOOKS MUST BE IN THE HANDS OF THE AVAVRS HISTORIAN LINDA BERKSTRESSER ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 25, 2014 Official
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building for family members of all agencies (police, fire, and rescue). We also had the police bring the homeless during one of our coldest days. We were very lucky to have power restored later that evening but for others it was much longer. We also had our annual blood drive, in memory of Kyle Southern, and had a pretty good turn out of auxiliary, crew members and citizens of Waynesboro. We closed out our annual picture project with a amazing turnout considering the difficult economy. We thank everyone who came out. We have a wish list from our senior crew of items that they would like to have, one of them will be presented to them at our rescheduled award banquet on March 1st. We are working on more things for the year and waiting for the warm weather. Hope to see you all at the next district meeting. Page
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From the VAVRS President Submitted by VAVRS President Rickey Hodge Since the last issue of the LIFELINE I have been very busy for the Association. I have made several trips to the General Assembly for meetings of committees that I serve on. On January 3rd, I attended the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Virginia Public Safety Foundation to begin the building of the Police-Fire-EMS Memorial. That was true honor to represent the Association in such a manner. There are several items that I would go over in this issue. Honestly it all revolves around services that this-YOUR ASSOCIATION- offers to you 窶的TS MEMBERS. I have spoken with four squads that have been having issues with managing their Squads or issues with the local governing body that assist them financially. First off, we have the Volunteer Management Team that will gladly respond to meet with your officers and Squad to listen, make suggestions or do whatever necessary to assist your squad. The key to getting the most out of the Volunteer Management Committee is calling as early as possible to get assistance. This is a confidential service as there is no reporting of the issues to other members of the Page
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Executive Committee. However there is a sure fire way to keep your squad in good standing and that is GOOD MANAGEMENT.
The Leadership Challenge is taught at Rescue College each year and until this year has been by a grant from RSAF. However I honestly feel that we have to offer this class as it has been shown time after time that we have to have good leaders with many specialties to keep doors open. A true leader has to be fair to all his members, set an example in every decision they make and be willing to listen and give in to better ideas. A good leader has to also be responsive to local governments and assist in any way possible. A good leader has to work with and not against these community leaders. Ask yourself, are we struggling??? Here is a sure fire answer to help. The VAVRS Camporee will be held May, 15-17, 2014 at Buena Vista. The campsite prices are greatly reduced for us at 15.00 a night. Buena Vista Rescue Squad again this year is working very hard to make this
a booming success. Ronnie Slough and his committee members, Kim Craig, Gary Dalton, Karen Wagner, and Fran Phillips are also working on activates. Concord Rescue Squad also is assisting. Lastly, the Raffle窶ｦWe read the questionnaire that you wrote at the Conference. The majority do not want the registration fee to go up unless there are activities added. We just cannot add anything so the idea of a raffle came up. This is your association folks. In order to do more, we all have to work and do all we can. I see this raffle as a sure way to raise money to benefit the Conference and to enhance the training there. There is an account that this money is put in to help reduce cost for all of us. We are offering a HTR School Bus Class and Farm Machinery Class at the Conference. Also the Cookout will happen on Thursday Evening. This is a FREE meal catered for YOU. Bring the family for a GREAT Cookout. Good fellowship included. The next time I will see you will probably be at the Spring Board Meeting in Bristol. Have a safe winter and see you soon. March
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VAVRS Chaplain Emeritus Submitted by VAVRS Chaplain Emeritus–Page Entsminger As many of you know, at our 79th annual Conference, I was awarded the honor of Chaplain Emeritus. This was a surprise beyond my imagination. I want to thank President Rickey Hodge and each of you who voted to bestow this great honor on me. My first term as Chaplain began in 1979 so many of my friends who were active at that time were not at the Conference. Thank you for the honor of allowing me to be your Chaplain at that time and the many terms since. Each morning as I sit in my recliner having my first cup of coffee, I look at this plaque, although I cannot see to read it, and I’m reminded of the
fact that I always need to be humble and not allow pride to slip into my life. My goals as Chaplain Emeritus are to attend as many meetings as possible and to be a mentor to the present and future Chaplains helping them anyway I can. Since Conference I have attended my District I meetings and attended several visitations and funerals on behalf of the Association to prevent the Chaplain traveling great distances. Although I am 78 years old and legally blind with many other health issues, God has blessed me beyond measure and my desire is to help others in times of sickness and need. May God bless each of you and contact me if I can be of assistance to you.
VAVRS Chaplain Emeritus A. Page Entsminger
2014 Spring Board of Governors Meeting The Spring Board of Governors meeting will be held on April 5, 2014, at the Bristol Holiday Inn Hotel, 3005 Linden Drive, Bristol, VA 24202—For reservations call 276-466-4100 and mention the VAVRS to get the prevailing state rate of $82.00 plus tax. The meeting will begin promptly at 9:00 AM on Saturday. NOTE: IF YOU ARE REPRESENTING YOUR SQUAD/CREW AND YOU ARE NOT THE PERSON YOUR SQUAD LISTED ON THE LAST ACTIVITY REPORT AS THE BOG DELEGATE OR ALTERNATE, YOU MUST BRING A LETTER ON YOUR SQUAD STATIONERY, SIGNED BY YOUR SQUAD PRESIDENT OR SECRETARY, STATING THAT YOU ARE YOUR AGENCY’S DELEGATE. You will receive a full report from each of the State Officers. You will also receive a report of any items that were passed during the 2014 General Assembly which affect EMS in the Commonwealth, as well as any bylaw changes. We will do everything we can to make sure this meeting is informative, productive and beneficial to everyone who attends. Page
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The 60 Second Parliamentarian Tip Submitted by J.C. Phillips, VAVRS Parliamentarian What does a "write in" mean on a ballot when having an election? Most people think that it is a member's right to write in the name of a candidate that they want to vote for. Yes, you as a voting member of an organization has the right to write in the name of the person that you wish to vote for. Whether this means anything or not, is another matter. There are three situations where a write in means nothing and does not count in the election. No.1 If your bylaws state that
write ins will not be allowed and you do it anyway, then all write ins will not count in the election. No.2 If your bylaws state what the qualifications are to be elected and you write in a person's name that does not meet the qualifications, then he or she can not be elected. No.3 If your bylaws state that the Secretary may cast a unanimous ballot for all unopposed positions and you write in a person's name next to the unopposed position, it will not count. This is because the Secretary has already cast everyone's vote for that
position and the person's name on the ballot has already been elected. Write ins are very seldom elected, unless an organized effort has taken place to get members to write in a certain person's name before the election takes place. I hope this clears up any concerns you may have had on write ins.
2014 VAVRS and VAJVRS Scrapbook Competition Each year the VAVRS Historian picks a theme. This year VAVRS Historian Dreama Chandler has chosen:
“SERVICE BEFORE SELF� For rules for the competition visit www.vavrs.com
DEADLINE SCRAPBOOKS MUST SUBMITTED TO THE VAVRS HISTORIAN ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 18, 2014 Official
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National EMS Memorial Service Adopt-A-Family Program The National EMS Memorial Service will be held on June 28, 2014 at 6:00 pm MDT at Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The purpose of the National EMS Memorial Service is to honor those emergency medical services personnel who have died in the line of duty and to recognize the ultimate sacrifice they have made for their fellow man. During the service a family member or agency representative will be presented with a United States flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol denoting the honoree’s service to their country, a white rose representing their undying love, along with a medallion signifying their eternal memory. Each year there is a need to financially support some of the family expenses for the service. You or your department can help by “adopting” one or more of the families by sending in a tax-deductible contribution of $350.00 for each family that you would like to adopt. This year, the National EMS Memorial Service will recognize over 20 emergency medical providers who lost their lives in the line of the selfless duty they loved. If you decide to adopt a family, your donation will go towards offsetting family lodging and other expenses of the National EMS Memorial Service. You will also be provided with information on your “adopted family”. Remember your financial support allows these families and friends the opportunity to attend a memorial that will be remembered and treasured. For additional information or to sponsor a family or families please contact Kevin Dillard, Founder and Past President via email kdillard@lifecare94.com. Make checks out to National EMS Memorial Service and mail to Kevin Dillard at 1170 International Pkwy, Fredericksburg, VA 22406. The National EMS Memorial Service appreciates your support for these families and helping the National EMS Memorial Service continue its work to honor those men and women who have made “the Ultimate Sacrifice.”
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National EMS Memorial Service represented by their state flag. After the last name has been read there is a National Moment of Silence, followed by an air-medical flyover and the playing of taps. The names of those who are honored here appear on the "Tree of Life," the National EMS Memorial. As I announced at the 2013 Conference, we have hired a fund raiser to raise funds for the permanent memorial, Pelofsky & Associates of Kansas City, MO. They have started off doing a great job. They are making significant contacts to get some major money to start coming in so that we can build the memorial. We are looking at raising about two million dollars for this project. We do not have a final price from the architect yet.
Submitted by Kevin Dillard, Past President The National EMS Memorial Service will be on June 28, 2014 in Colorado Springs, CO. This will be the 22nd annual service! The purpose of the National EMS Memorial Service is to honor and remember those emergency medical services personnel who have died in the line of duty and to recognize the ultimate sacrifice they have made for their fellow human beings. Each year during the service a family member or agency representative will be presented with a United States flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol denoting the honoree’s service to their country, a white rose representing their undying love, and a medallion signifying their eternal memory. As part of the service, each person being recognized is also Official
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The designer of the National EMS Memorial is Chevo Studios. Their website address is www.chevostudios.com They have asked that we answer the following questions so that they can start their design process by getting inspirational input— What inspired you to become an EMS professional? What is the most rewarding part of your job? What qualities do successful EMS professionals exhibit?
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What are the resources that help you recharge/renew and/ or manage the emotional challenge of your work? What are the things that have given you comfort in time of loss? Please get the word out about the design process we are going through and have everyone that is interested in responding to the above questions to mail or e -mail their response to me. My e-mail address is kdillard@lifecare94.com I would like to ask each of you to please help us to raise funds by reminding your agencies that we are in need of financial Page
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To Be Held on June 28, 2014 in Colorado help with the Adopt- a- Family program. For a $350 donation per family you, your agency, business, etc. can help sponsor one or more families by contributing to this worthwhile program. You can send in your donations now for the 2014 service. Please make the checks payable to the National EMS Memorial Service and mail to me at -Kevin Dillard, Past President National EMS Memorial Service 1170 International Parkway Fredericksburg, VA 22406-1126
There have been recent discussions at the Board meetings of the National EMS Memorial Service about the possibility of another move. There is a push among many members of the board to move the service from Colorado Springs, CO to Littleton, CO. Littleton is located just outside of the Denver area and is the location of the land that the Air Medical Memorial has been trying to build their permanent memorial. There is talk about
combining the two boards and services and having one location. There is yet another group that is trying to get the permanent memorial built in Washington, DC. There are many pros and cons about the moves, so at this time I am just bringing it to everyone’s attention. I am willing to discuss this in more detail to anyone that is interested. We may be able to even consider getting the memorial to move back to Virginia. As always, thank you for your continued support of the National EMS Memorial
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VAVRS Death Benefit Plan To Be Honored….For $3.00 Submitted by VAVRS Vice President Connie Moore In the most recent issue of the Lifeline, VAVRS Chaplain Darleen Ferguson revealed how few VAVRS squads are members of our Death Benefit Plan, yet the process to join is SO Simple. All of the forms for applying, as well as the Bylaws, can be found on the VAVRS website, so let’s take an over-view of the process and the cost. When your Squad decides to join the Plan, you determine who will be responsible for handling the applications for membership (Secretary, Treasurer, or designated Agency individual). It will be this person’s responsibility to keep member information current, and to be sure that new members of your Agency are included when you determine that they are eligible. For a mere $3.00 per person ---- you are now a part of the Death Benefit Plan. With the death of members within the Plan, an assessment of 50 cents per member is charged, multiplied by the number of individual members of your Squad, and this is done quarterly. If there are no deaths within a quarter, no assessment is charged.
changes in beneficiaries, or deletion of members who are to be removed from the Plan, are on-line on the VAVRS website. Within the Death Benefit Plan Bylaws is the chart of payment at the death of one of your members. This payment is based on how many total members in VAVRS are currently enrolled in the Plan, and currently the payment to the designated beneficiary is $1,250.00. There are less than 3000 members currently enrolled and it will only take a little more than 100 more members joining to increase this payout amount to $1,500.00. Over the past several years, I
have seen how this small amount of payment has made a difference in a family’s funeral plans and how they were able to pay for them. Once a Deceased Member form is completed at the death of your member, and a copy of the death certificate included, the Plan’s payment is made to the beneficiary within 10 days. All of the VAVRS office staff, as well as your District Vice President, are available to assist you in properly completing this process. It is such a small price to pay to honor one of your members who served your Squad and your community with dedication as a Volunteer. Get your Squad to enroll today – it only costs a little to help in a time of loss.
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District Ten News Submitted by Steve Dove On February 09, 2014 District 10 held out meeting at the Madison Volunteer Rescue Squad. We kicked off the first meeting of the New Year with a training lecture on “Emerging Drugs of Abuse” presented by Audrey Snyder. We also conducted EVOC Competitions during out meeting. The great news from the District is the involvement of our Junior Squads. We will soon be voting in at least three new Junior Squads from District 10 in the VAJVRS. We are motivating the Juniors on District 10 by changing the typical activities that have been offered to Juniors in the past at our meetings. In February we began to offer a Junior Training Lecture. This lecture in February was focused on proper immobilization techniques for back boarding a patient. The Juniors are not yet trained as EMT’s so we will offer training seminars for the Juniors that focus on one particular skill. Juniors learned how to maintain C-Spine when approaching a patient complaining of next and back pain. They learned how to measure and apply a cervical collar. They assess the patient pulse, motor and sensory prior to applying the long board. As Official
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a team they learned how to properly long roll a patient to place them on the long board immobilization device. They practiced hands-on skills by applying the “spider-straps” to secure the patient to the device. Finally they learned how to immobilize the patients head to the device and conduct a final check of the pulse, motor and sensory functions. This hands-on training proved to be very exciting and encourage participation by all Juniors present.
generation to compete in. The scenario for this competition was based on a patient who was suffering from an allergic reaction as the result of a bee sting. The patient exhibited signs of hives and difficulty breathing. While the patient had a prescribed EPI-Pen she was unable to inject this medication without assistance. The Junior did an outstanding job of immediately recognizing this life-threat through a comprehensive quick assessment of the patient. They did not hesitate to assisting with the patient with administering their prescribe auto-injection device. Those that competed did an outstanding job providing
The Juniors also competed in a Basic First Aid Competition. While many Juniors have not yet obtained certification as EMT’s we conduct Basic First Aid scenarios for the younger VAVRS
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Maddie are both Junior Members with the Mountain View Volunteer Rescue Squad. We would also like to thank Sylvia Sullivan with Mountain View for excellent role playing skills as the patient during this competition.
follow-up reassurance to the patient and were ready to answer EMS Provider’s when they arrived on the scene to take over patient care. Congratulations to Meghan Sullivan for winning 2nd Place and Maddie Smith for being award the 1st Place medals in the Junior First Aid Competitions. Meghan and
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The VAVRS District 10 Juniors also participated in a community service project during their meeting. The Juniors conducted a Blanket Drive to collect blankets for homeless children in the Fredericksburg Region. Many thanks to those that donated new or gently used blanket for this valuable community service project. The Junior present at the meeting took time to decorate the care bags that would be filled with the many donated items to would be given to the homeless kids. Each bag contained hygiene items, a blanket, a book and various items donated by businesses and fire/rescue agencies. These care packages were delivered to 15 kids ranging in age from 3 weeks to 15 years old that are currently at the Thurman Brisben Homeless shelter in Fredericksburg. The staff and kids at the homeless shelter were so thankful for what our Juniors had done and thrilled to see that kids would take time from their schedules to help others that are in need. The Juniors were so excited about this project that they have asked that additional
community service projects be incorporated into their future Junior Meetings. District 10 continues to coordinate our upcoming Training Weekend in the District. We will offer some great classes and will have information about the Training Weekend in the near future, so be on the look-out for that information. This is the first Training Weekend within District 10 in many many years so we are counting on a successful turn out to make this an annual event. Our next District 10 Meeting will be held on June 1, 2014 at the Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad. We look forward to seeing everyone there and encourage any Junior that wishes to participate to take part in the exciting activities we have planned during this meeting.
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The Legislative Attic Submitted by Ed Rhodes As I begin this article, the legislative "crossover" has occurred in the General Assembly. What is in store from the budget report will not be until this weekend on February 16th. Also as I begin this, reports are for snow, ice and warnings in the next few days and I certainly hope that will not happen. First, let me say to all of you who wrote letters to our representatives in Washington last year, thank you. Your emails and letters caused Senator Mark Warner to submit legislation that fixed the health care issue that the IRS had caused. The IRS came out and changed their definition and did away with the health care requirement for volunteer organizations. You did good, as they say. The 2014 General Assembly has been interesting to say the least. The Virginia Senate started with a Republican majority, but about 10 days into the session, the Democrats took control, thus changing the makeup of all committees and chairs. Let us say the "power structure" changed one hundred eighty degrees in one day. Once the change took effect, strategies on bills had to be revamped. VAVRS had few bills this year, Official
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with the EMS terminology bill being the biggest literally. The length is 125 pages. Bills were introduced in both houses and both were carried over and sent to OEMS and the Advisory Board for vetting by the system, to be returned in January 2015 session. There were no budget amendments submitted this year as the budget bill reflects that interest funds should be returned to the affected agencies beginning July 1 2015. Of course, one also has to be in a defensive mode during the session. House Bill 1010 was one of the biggest ones that VAVRS has had to deal with in years. This bill reduced the hours for EMT Responder and EMT Basic by half. VAVRS led the opposition along with the VFCA, VAGEMSA, VPFF, VFPA, Regional Councils, Emergency Physicians, OMDs and others. The entire system was opposed to the bill! The bill came out of Bedford County because of issues with recruitment and retention, which they felt, was because of the hour's requirement to become certified. No problem with fire training which is actually more. They were apparently not
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The “Real� Attic aware of the ramifications associated with this proposed change. The bill was carried over to 2015 and the EMS Advisory Board will work on the issue, which they approved during their November 2013 meeting at symposium. Again, thanks to all who answered the call to contact their legislators asking that they oppose this bill. As usual, there were a few "red light" bills to surface again. Most were taken care of, but one involving the National Guard and another defining the lights because of LED lights, have passed the House. Three Line of Duty bills were submitted, two in the Senate (Senators Carrico and Puckett patrons) and one in the House (Delegate Sickles patron), and all three were sent to JLARC for study. The Senate bills for one-year study and the House for two years. We will continue to work on these and will Page
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continue to let you know the progress. We have been tracking close to 90 pieces of legislation this session and some have required attention in asking for amendments or being involved in further conversation on legislation. We continue to watch the budget to insure that the 4 for Life funds are not used for other items. There have been budget amendments submitted to fund the poison control center in Washington DC and the other two centers in Virginia. These were general fund requests, but the chance remains that our funds could be used. Finally, Rickey Hodge, Connie Moore, Bubby Bish, Kenny Frenier, Sharon Campbell and Patsy Wingfield visited the General Assembly in January and visited a number of delegates and senators. They were also introduced by Delegate Bobby Orrock to the House of Delegates as part of their visit. I would be remiss if I did not thank their guides, my "staff", Jane Hornbeck and Carol Rhodes for helping out while I was in committee meetings. Thanks to all of you in being the "grass roots" voice of the VAVRS. Believe me it really works. See you at Spring BOG!
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VAVRS and AVAVRS Visit Virginia General Assembly L-R Front Row-VAVRS President Rickey Hodge; VAVRS Vice President Connie Moore; VAVRS Immediate Past President Edward “Bubby” Bish; VAVRS District 3 Vice President Kenny Frenier; VAVRS Legislative Committee Chair Dreama Chandler; AVAVRS President Sharon Campbell and AVAVRS Treasurer Patsy Wingfield. Back Row Carol Rhodes
VAVRS Chaplain Submitted by VAVRS Chaplain Darleen Ferguson We are now in a New Year, please check with the State Office for a listing of the names your Squad has summited to the Death Benefit Plan. At your monthly meetings please review this list. If someone on the list is no longer with your Squad summit the (Deletion Form) to remove their name, if you have a new member to add to the list have them complete a Death Benefit Plan Application. All Squads that have lost members since September 2012 that were not honored at the
Memorial Service during the 2013 Conference, please send in their names to be honored at the 2014 Conference Memorial Service. “PLEASE DO NOT ASSUME YOUR SQUAD ( IS) OR( IS NOT) A MEMBER OF THE DEATH BENEFIT PLAN” It is not too early to send in Names, Photo and Squad patches for the 2014 Memorial Service. Please send them to the VAVRS State Office Attn: VAVRS Chaplain PO Box 279, Oilville VA 23129 These items can be sent by Fax, Mail or E-mail March
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LifeCare Wins Chamber of Commerce Green Frontier Award Submitted by Kevin Dillard At the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce Gala in January, LifeCare was presented with the prestigious Green Frontier Award. This award recognizes the business that best exemplifies the green initiative – an effort to reduce its carbon footprint and help conserve natural resources. Sustainable energy and water use, carbon-neutral or negative solutions, eco-friendly transportation, ecological services, greener buildings and IT infrastructure are generating ever-greater interest in the business community. Companies ranging from Google to mom-and-pop enterprises are reducing their big carbon footprints and cutting their operating costs. This wave is sweeping over the Region’s business community. While profit is both a
motivating factor and payoff for some, the broader theme is one of a sense of collective intelligence and responsibility in wanting to enhance quality of life and, at the same time, help preserve the planet’s natural resources. At LIFECARE – We ARE our name. We are a company with a deep commitment to our community … commitment to the patients we serve … to the health of the community … & to the environment in which we live & call home. Over the past decade LIFECARE has made it a priority to implement GREEN company-wide policies. Some of these GREEN policies were easier to implement than others because they were already accepted, established practices in our region such as the recycling of paper, glass, plastic products & vehicle oil. Other GREEN policies were more challenging to implement. 1. PAPERLESS NEW HIRE ORIENTATION PROCESS
Throughout the new hire process, each person must read & sign approximately 35 individual documents as well as read our Standard Operating Guidelines. We begin with an online application process. We then proceed to a paperless hiring process in which each new hire is assigned a laptop with all required documents loaded. After reading the documents, the employee can then sign them utilizing an electronic signature pad. All documents are then electronically delivered to the Human Resources department & placed in the individual’s electronic personnel file. Impact & Savings: a minimum of 9,000 of pieces of paper per year! 2. ELECTRONIC PERSONNEL FILES The personnel files of all of LIFECARE’s employees are safely managed & stored electronically. Each employee has many documents in their personnel file. Also challenging, but doable thanks to the fast growth of the computer technology industry, was the assurance of the confidentiality of all personnel files. Impact & savings: a minimum
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of 13,500 pieces of paper & 300 file folders per year! 3. ELECTRONIC PAYSTUBS All of LIFECARE’s employees receive their paystubs via email. This policy has provided great savings to the company both environmental & financial – by eliminating all of the paper, ink, envelopes, stamps & manpower associated with the previous method of delivering paper paystubs. Impact & savings: a minimum of 3,600 pieces of paper, 3,600 envelopes, 3,600 stamps & the manpower to prepare the paystubs for mailing annually! 4. PAPERLESS PATIENT CARE REPORTS
Pictured L-R at the Chamber of Commerce Gala Sandy Passera, Call Center Supervisor; Danny Wildman, Vice President; Kevin Dillard, President; Jackie Taylor, Office Manager; Jeff French, Operations Supervisor; Sue Connors, Training Coordinator; Tasha Browne, Vice President of Finance & HR; John Brandrup, Operations Manager the provider’s handwriting. Impact & savings: The electronic patient care reporting saves a minimum of 125,000 pieces of paper annually. 5. PAPERLESS MANUALS
LIFECARE EMS providers prepare all of their patient care documentation utilizing the state approved Image Trend electronic patient care reporting system on Toughbook's. Completed reports are uploaded to LIFECARE’s Billing Office & to the Virginia Office of EMS. The previous paper patient care reports (PPCRs) were often difficult to read due to the triplicate carbon copies & the reliance on the neatness of Page
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OEMS mandates that all emergency vehicles have a copy of the HAZMAT Awareness Emergency Response guidebook. LIFECARE no longer carries the hardcopy version of that guide book, but instead
carries the paperless version as a PDF readable file on the Toughbook computers in each ambulance. Other documents that LIFECARE has loaded on each Toughbook include a copy of the Virginia Office of EMS Rules & Regulations, LIFECARE’s Standing Operating Guidelines (SOGs), & all applicable Regional Medical EMS Protocols. Impact & Savings: The abovementioned documents are lengthy, requiring a tremendous amount of paper to ensure their availability on all of our ambulances. The other benefit to our providers is the easy access to these important documents. (Continued on page 26)
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to reporting vehicle or computer problems to taking required training.
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6. ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE PADS
Impact & Savings: The implementation of communication technology has saved LIFECARE countless dollars in time, vehicle wear and tear & fuel.
The use of electronic signature pads has not only saved on the amount of paper used by our providers, but also by our accounting department which utilizes electronic signatures with vendors & purchase orders. Impact & savings: Reduction in the amount of paper utilized for purchases. 7. VIRTUAL TRAINING & MEETINGS To save time & fuel, LIFECARE utilizes teleconferencing & Skype to allow for our statewide management team to meet & train. Webinars are also utilized to bring important new industry trends to our management team without the need for costly travel. In addition, LIFECARE employees receive company newsletters via email. Vital messages & documents requiring the immediate attention of employees is managed electronically through TraumaSoft – a program utilized for everything from clocking in & out, to scheduling, Official
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less toxic work environment for its employees. Impact & savings: Healthier employees...cost savings for bulk purchase of cleaning supplies from state industries. 11. MOTION-DETECTION LIGHTING & LED LIGHTING LIFECARE
8. RECYCLING – PAPER, GLASS & PLASTIC PRODUCTS
LIFECARE’s offices across the state recycle plastic, paper, glass & cans. Recycling containers for plastic, glass & cans are conveniently located in the kitchen areas. Office areas are equipped with boxes for paper recycling & shredders for confidential papers. Impact & savings: Less trash in landfills...fewer trees lost. 9. RECYCLING VEHICLE OIL LIFECARE’s mechanics ensure that all of the used vehicle oil is recycled. Impact & savings: Over 800 gallons of oil are recycled annually which means a cleaner environment & cleaner water. 10. ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE CLEANING PRODUCTS LIFECARE chooses to utilize environmentally-safe cleaning supplies from State Industrial Products GREEN PRODUCTS line when possible to provide a VAVRS
We have placed motionactivated light switches in its corporate office. Lights in rooms that are minimally used are set to turn on upon entering, & off within minutes of leaving. LED lighting is used throughout the interior of the building. LIFECARE has also gone to all LED lighting for its outside lighting. As a company that operates 24/7/365, it is essential to provide adequate lighting for the employees who work at night. The LED bulbs outlast their predecessors. Impact & Savings: Light bulb replacement reduction & electric bill savings of hundreds of dollars each year. 12. VEHICLE IDLE POLICY One of the most dramatic GREEN policies implemented by LIFECARE for both its environmental & financial impact has been the vehicle idle policy. Our business requires the use of many vehicles on the road 24 hours a (Continued on page 27)
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(Continued from page 26)
day/7 days a week. LIFECARE has enacted a company-wide policy that reduces vehicle idling. Each vehicle is equipped with a GPS system that monitors a variety of items from seat belt use, to speeding, to the amount of time a vehicle engine is running idle. LIFECARE’s biggest challenge to the implementation of the Vehicle Idle Policy was changing the mindset of the providers who thought the engines needed to stay on. We had to re-educate our providers by means of a policy document that outlined the reasons why idling was actually detrimental to the
environment, the providers, the patients and the engine. Impact & savings: A large decrease in the diesel emissions into the air, wear & tear on our engines and a large fuel savings. WHAT ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES HAVE WE ACHIEVED? We have reduced the amount of time that our vehicles are emitting diesel exhaust from idling by more than 50% with our vehicle idle policy. We have reduced the amount of trash from our agency ending up in landfills by over 50% with our recycling policies. We have reduced the amount of paper products used by well
over 50% by utilizing electronic patient care reports, electronic personnel documentation and electronic payroll. We have reduced the amount of electricity used by utilizing automated on/off interior lighting and LED outdoor lighting. We have helped our community’s soil and water by utilizing environmentally safe cleaning products and by recycling our vehicle oil. The Regional Chamber of Commerce was proud to present the award to LifeCare for its role in helping with the "go green initiative", and helping to make the Region an even better place to live, work and play.
By Providence Forge VRS—For information call 804 966-2801 2001 F-450 XLT Super Duty Power Stroke Diesel V8 Crash Truck/Ambulance
FOR SALE
Some features and information of this unit are: WARN 15000 wench (new never been used) Onboard Diesel Generator 6.5 KW Hurst JL32B Jaws of Life Actual mileage is 10400 Ambulance box / 4 wheel drive Adjustable rear scene lights Set up for a gurney Has a bench seat. Asking price for this unit is $45,000.00 negotiable. Page
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In Memoriam Robert “Spencer” Hill Life Member Davis Corner VFD father of Bobby Hill, VA Beach RS Historian. Scott Hill, Chesapeake Fire Captain and Harold Hill, VA Beach Fire Captain, on far right is Mike Wade Retired VBFD District Chief. This photo is by Tricia Hartman.
Bobby Hill Recruiting with the Geico Gecko
Chesapeake Beach Ambulance on Call during Snow Storm
Princess Anne Courthouse Retired EMS Volunteers next to new blue ambulance Official
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Plaza Squad Truck 16 crew digging out the truck during snow storm Polar Bear CPR at Ocean Front Polar Plunge
EMS NIGHT VA Aquarium-700+ in attendance
Princess Anne Courthouse Volunteers Demonstrate CPR at Recreation Center
Photos from around Virginia Beach submitted by Bobby Hill 1st Night VB EMS EMT Academy-71 in attendance Page
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Meeting Attendance Advice from the VAVRS R&R Committee Submitted by Fran Phillips, VAVRS R&R Chair SQUAD MEETINGS: If you are an elected officer it is your responsibility to attend every meeting of your Board and Membership. OK, I know that at some time there are extenuating circumstances that may prevent your attendance at every meeting [marriage, childbirth, death, hospitalization, job, etc.] Your attendance at each meeting will prepare you to advance in your organization with the knowledge that you are prepared with the previous history of meetings. As a Member of your squad or auxiliary, it is your responsibility to attend meetings, training and events that will make you a qualified, engaged person, to take your organization and its tradition to new levels of excellence. DISTRICT MEETINGS: Why should you as an officer
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or member attend your District Meeting or other District Meetings in the VAVRS? The District Vice President should be able to tell you the latest information on what is going on in the General Assembly, OEMS and what is going on in your OEMS regional council. You will also find out what squads in your area are accomplishing in Recruitment, Retention, Training, and Fund Raising to name a few. If a squad is having difficulties, you or your organization may be able to help them with ideas and encouragement. APRIL BOARD OF GOVERNOR’S and CONFERENCE MEETINGS: At these annual meetings [the BOG in April and the Conference in September] you as the Delegate or Board of Governor have the opportunity to vote on changes in the VAVRS Bylaws, hear the officers and committee reports, and to vote on the direction of the VAVRS. At the Conference you will be responsible for voting on the VAVRS Elected Officers, the Budget, Bylaw changes, Life Membership, and other unique possible VAVRS
actions that make the VAVRS a vibrant organization. In 2014, I challenge you to attend all the meetings that you possibly are able to attend as a leader or a member. In this way your organization, through your report, will be
knowledgeable in all aspects of your District and the VAVRS. We hear of squads closing their doors usually because they are not able to answer their community call volume. Attending these meetings may give you ideas to increase your membership or a VAVRS contact to help your group with individual problems. EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE! ATTENDING MEETINGS MAKES AN INFORMED LEADER. Page
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Emergency Vehicle Operators Course
The Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) is patterned after the State Office of Transportation Safety EVOC guide. The course emphasizes safe driving skills. Additionally, the course gives you (the emergency driver) all the vehicle codes of Virginia which will affect you. This course is designed to help reduce the number of crashes involving emergency vehicles. The course includes classroom and driving range skills. Upon completion of the EVOC course, five points can be
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added to the driver s record of VAVRS members in the state of Virginia. This point system for your license is allowed only once every two (2) years. Note: A textbook is required by each student taking this course and the course hours are 16, 8 hours didactic and 8 hours practical. Refresher Hours are 8 hours (can include both classroom & practical). The basic course prerequisites: · MUST be 18 years of age · MUST possess a current operators license Instructor Course Prerequisites: · MUST be 21 years of age · MUST hold current EVOC certification · MUST be certified in basic EVOC for at least one year · MUST have successfully completed the EVOC pre-test with a score of 80 · Active squad member for three (3) years · MUST be a member of the VAVRS
VAVRS · MUST maintain a current operator's license · MUST submit a copy of your driving record not more than 30 days old from date of application TO SCHEDULE A TRAINING CLASS IN YOUR AREA: E-Mail (vavrs@vavrs.com) or call the VAVRS State Office at 800-833-0602
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Auxiliary-Staunton Augusta Rescue Squad Submitted by Paige Wagner It was exciting and enjoyable time for the AuxiliaryStaunton August Rescue Squad on January 11, 2014. Our Auxiliary members attended a joint banquet with our rescue squat at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Staunton, VA. Our officers were installed at the banquet by Patsy Wingfield, a member of Cave Spring Auxiliary and Treasurer of the AVAVRS. The 2014 officers are as follows: President—Kim Galloway; Vice-President— Debbie Rohr; Secretary— Judy Leach; Treasurer— Paige Wagner and Chaplain—Jane Drumheller.
2014 Officers of the Auxiliary—Staunton Augusta RS L-R—Patsy Wingfield, AVAVRS Treasurer/Installing Officer; Kim Galloway, President; Debbie Rohr, Vice President; Judy Leach, Secretary; Page Wagner, Treasurer and Jane Drumheller, Chaplain
Randy Swisher, a member of the Auxiliary, was recognized for 10 years of dedicated service as a support member of the Rescue Squad. Another highlight—Eugenia Taylor was awarded Life Membership in the Auxiliary. Life membership is awarded to a member with 10 years of active dedicated service in the auxiliary. The joint banquet between the squad and auxiliary is a yearly event that members look forward too.
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L-R - Kim Galloway, President of the Auxiliary Staunton Augusta Rescue Squad presenting Eugenia Taylor with a certificate for Life Membership in the Auxiliary March
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Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad Submitted by Sara Hunt Sr. Public Relations Manager Touch Points Public Relations Colonial Beach, VA (Jan. 6, 2014) – At its annual banquet on Jan. 4, 2014, Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad kicked off the new year with installation of officers and presenting a number of awards to honor several members for their outstanding performance in 2013. The featured guest speaker was Pat Ivey, author of EMT—Beyond the Lights and Sirens. The squad’s most prestigious award, Squad Member of the Year, went to CBVRS Assistant
Other top award winners: Chief’s Service Award & Medal of Honor Carlton Hudson EMS Provider of the Year Lt. Daniel Stinson Outstanding BLS Provider Ryan Huffman Outstanding ALS Provider Lt. Michael Nance EMS Rookie of the Year Melissa Feltner Outstanding Junior Member Devon Dudley Outstanding Support Team Member Elta Melson Chief’s Service Award Barry Melson Outstanding EMS Officer Lt. Alexandra “Alex” Nance Special Service Award CBVRS Support Team Hudson-Costenbader Award for Outstanding Support Lewis Bowen Sr. Kevin Dillard Outstanding Administrative Officer Valerie Ivanyshyn 2014 Operational Officers
Chief Patricia “Pat” FitzGerald, who was also the squad’s top call runner in 2013 with 582 calls---200 more calls than the second place call runner. Official
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Chief Wesley Melson Asst. Chief Patricia FitzGerald Lieutenants: Alexandra Nance, Michael Nance Sr., Chris Kerns, Daniel Stinson, Melissa Feltner and Robert Rivenbark 2014 Administrative Officers President Robert Rivenbark Vice President Daniel Stinson VAVRS
Treasurer Patricia FitzGerald Secretary Amber McKenzie At Large John Chomeau At Large Carlton Hudson Community Liaison Zedda Viets 2014 Support Team Officers Co-Leader Valerie Ivanyshyn Co-Leader Elta Melson Treasurer Patricia FitzGerald Secretary Debra Guest In other news: --An anonymous donor contributed $25,000 to CBVRS to be used for renovations and remodeling to the squad’s station house on Dennison Avenue. --Certificates of Appreciation for Outstanding Support and Service were presented to: Colonial Beach United Methodist Church Hall’s Supermarket Jake Marshall – Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center Sara Hunt – Touch Points Public Relations “Our squad had a great year in 2013 and we’re anticipating that 2014 will be even better,” said CBVRS Rescue Chief Wesley Melson. “We congratulate Pat FitzGerald and Carlton Hudson on their outstanding achievements throughout 2013, along with all of the other members who were recognized at the annual awards ceremony. The strength of our squad is in direct proportion to the dedication of our members—they are the best!”
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District One
Photo by VAVRS District One Vice President Steve Southworth directly following the District-1 competition meeting at the Wintergreen Overlook; October 27, 2013. The ambulances from left to right: Wintergreen RS, Hot Springs RS, Staunton-Augusta RS, Waynesboro FAC, Stuarts Draft RS, Buena Vista RS, and the Rockfish Valley VFD. At our meeting, we had approx. 100 VAVRS members in attendance, which was hosted by the Wintergreen Fire & Rescue Department.
Photo by VAVRS District One Vice President Steve Southworth directly following the District-1 competition meeting in front of the Churchville Fire & Rescue building; January 26, 2014. The photo depicts the Churchville FR volunteers, who hosted our meeting. Approximately 100 VAVRS members were in attendance at this meeting. Quarterly District-1 meetings consist of EMT-Basic Team, Light Duty Rescue Team and EVOC Driver competitions, followed by a luncheon, business meeting and awards presentation. Page
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Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad Submitted by Jim Cromer December is a time for celebration, to reflect on past year’s successes and to plan for the future. 2013 was a good year for Loudoun Rescue. Membership grew which meant putting more providers on the street, we increased our community involvement with the local businesses and we upgraded our fleet to better serve the community. Typically, the Squad will purchase a new ambulance each year to replace one of the five existing ambulances. This was not done this for many years. In July 2013 and January 2014 we replaced 2 of our oldest ambulances with two Type 1 Horton 623-series ambulances on International 4300 series chassis. They were designated Ambulance 613-E and Ambulance 613-D. One is a model year 2013 since it was ordered towards the end of 2012 while the other is a 2014 model year chassis. Even though the chassis differ by one model year they are nearly identical in design especially the patient care areas. Both new ambulances offer a number of features and enhancements that our older 2005 and 2006 ambulances did not provide. They include the following: Improved engine and transmission performance as Official
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well as an improved gearing ratio which provides for better acceleration from a stop as well as better highway driving
All LED exterior emergency lighting package, LED exterior scene lighting, and LED patient compartment lighting
Improved chassis heating and cooling systems as well as an additional cooling compressor for more robust air conditioning in the patient compartment
Interior camera system which provides an exterior rear-view as well as an interior view of the patient compartment
Whelen ÂŽ Howler siren
New DOT-required emissions systems Increased on-board equipment storage both in exterior compartments and interior cabinets Improved temperature -controlled ALS storage
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Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad Reconfigured action-area counter layout to better allow provider access to the LP-15 cardiac monitor Reconfigured "notched back" bench seat to allow providers more space to access the patient
However this year we lost a very beloved member of our squad. Our Chaplain of 6 years, Rev. Glenn “Reiff” Lesher succumbed to cancer on Thursday December 19th. “Reiff” as he was known around the station served as the
The enhancements allow Loudoun Rescue providers as well as our Loudoun County Fire Rescue career staff partners to better provide emergency medical services to the residents of Leesburg and Loudoun County. Special thanks to Lt. Tony Mino and his Committee for the many hours they spent on this project, a job well done.
minister for Leesburg Community Church. He was also a member of the Loudoun County Fire & Rescue Chaplain’s Committee. The many volunteers at the squad and the people we served will remember him for his gentle and caring manner. His genuine approach welcomed those in need. Words cannot describe what the members thought about “Reiff”. One member summed up Reiff’s life as “He walked the talk”. Reiff, you surely will be missed. The Squad is looking forward to 2014 and the challenges we may face.
By Fair Oaks Fire and Rescue - For Information email apparatus@fovfr.org or call Deputy Chief Jonathan Wood 703-925-9120; Cell 703-217-1747
FOR SALE 1998 MedicMaster on Freightliner FL-60 Chassis Type 3 Ambulance $15,900 Specifications: - Mileage: 161,400; Current Virginia inspection; GVWR = 26,000#, 168” wheelbase - Transmission: Allison MD 3060; 6 speed automatic - Motor: Cummins B-5.9 diesel; ABS disc brakes; Limited slip differential - Fuel tank: 45 gallon; 4 battery system in slide out tray under driver door - Fast idle; Auto eject shoreline; Power Source 75 battery conditioner - 1250 watt block heater, wired off shore line - KKK compliant package, sequenced; Powercall and EQ2B sirens, Grover air horns - Map book storage rack in cab (holds 6 3-inch binders) - 6 exterior storage cabinets; plus separate lock access for electrical - Interior bench seat with storage; attendant and CPR seats - Firecom intercom system with 3 headsets - 3 Litebox hand lights, 2 fire extinguishers, mounting bracket for on-board O2 - Lockable interior drug storage cabinet - Bracket for Stryker cot; air bag loading system with override Page
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Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue Announces New Officers & Award Submitted Sara Hunt, Senior Public Relations Manager Touch Points Public Relations Spotsylvania, Va. (Jan. 29, 2014) – At its annual banquet and awards ceremony on Jan. 25, 2014, Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue kicked off the new year with installation of officers and presenting a number of awards to honor several members for their outstanding performance in 2013. The featured speaker was David Hirsch, Senior Pastor of New Life Outreach Church in Fredericksburg, who thanked the organization for its role in saving the life of his daughter when she was involved in a serious car accident. The organization’s most prestigious award, CVFR Member of the Year, is
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presented to the member who embodies the best of Chancellor in the areas of leadership, dedication, service and excellence. This year’s winner, who was selected in a secret ballot vote by the membership, is Assistant Chief Robert “Bob” Weber. Other top award winners included: Rookie Firefighter of the Year Tyler Johnson Firefighter of the Year Will Cook Oscar Award Dustin Wright EMS Rookie of the Year Krystal Cole EMS Provider of the Year John Rayman EMS Driver of the Year Matt Goldsborough Honor Guard Member of the Year Brandon Murray with 165 hours Admin. Member of the Year Hollie Williams President’s Award A.P. Bullock Chief’s Award Tom Couch Top EMS Hours Runner Nicholas Gilbert with 1,039 hrs Top Fire Hours Runner Brandon Murray with 2,345 hrs Special Award of Recognition Greg Leitz
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2014 Administrative Officers: President Beth Addington Vice Pres. Robert Padgett Sr. Secretary Mary Padgett Treasurer Hollie Williams Board of Directors and Member/Large Joseph Habib Board of Directors and Member/Large Connie Grennen Admin. Chief Kevin Dillard 2014 Operational Officers: Fire Chief John Richter Dep. Chief Frederick Broccolo Asst. Chief Robert Weber Asst. Chief Tony Dennis Rescue Chief Charles Schultz Fire Captain Mike Passera Fire Lt. Geoffrey Knight Fire Lt. Ryan Passera EMS Captain Sarah Rees EMS Lt. Meredith Howdyshell EMS Lt. Janice Tate EMS Lt. Janna Roland “We congratulate Assistant Chief Weber and all of the award winners who were recognized for their dedicated service and achievements over the past 12 months,” said Kevin Dillard, Administrative Chief of Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue. “Thanks to their exemplary efforts, CVFR had a great year in 2013, and we anticipate that 2014 will be even better.” Page
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On January 18, Bensley Bermuda Rescue Squad held their annual installation banquet. Bubby Bish installed the officers. Kenny Frenier and his wife Harriet were invited guest. Below the newly elected officers are sworn in.
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and talked to representatives on the stance of VAVRS. Those visiting the General Assembly were President Rickey Hodge, Vice President Connie Moore, Past President Bubby Bish, District 3 VP Kenny Frenier, Legislative Committee
Submitted By Kenny Frenier District 3 Vice President Things have been pretty busy in Third District since the beginning of a new year. With extremely cold temperatures and 2 snow storms the District has been inundated with house fires and transports for flu like symptoms. Pictured below is a picture of Colonial Heights Fire & EMS working a fire as the result of a pan left unattended. This incident occurred on January 14 in the 2400 BLK of the Boulevard. No injuries occurred but substantial damage occurred to the structure.
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Bensley-Bermuda Volunteer Rescue Squad Officers being sworn in by VAVRS Immediate Past President Edward “Bubby” Bish. The General Assembly started and VAVRS Lobbyist Ed Rhodes has been tracking and keeping all abreast of the many bills being presented. Two Bills that are of interest are SB 493 – Funding for the LODD and HB1010 – A proposal to lower the training hours for First Responders and EMT’s. Both bills have gone back to committee. On January 21 members from VAVRS visited the General Assembly VAVRS
Co-Chair Dreama Chandler, Auxiliary President Sharon Campbell and Auxiliary Treasurer Patsy Wingfield. I would like to thank Ed & Carol Rhodes and Ed’s Assistant for guiding us around and having VAVRS recognized during the opening of the General Assembly session. On February 1 several District III Officers attended the officers meeting held in Buena Vista. During this meeting the 80th anniversary raffle tickets were handed out for each district to distribute. Tickets are $1.00 each or a book of 12 for $10. Twenty tickets will be drawn at conference and each Page
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winner will receive a $500 cash prize. The more you buy the more chances you have to win. Later in the evening of February 1, the District III meeting was held at Ashland
a different and enjoyable conference. The raffle tickets were handed out and most members were eager to sell
Important VAVRS Events 2014 Spring BOG Meeting April 5, 2014 - Holiday Inn, Bristol, VA VAVRS Camporee
Rescue Squad. We would like to thank Ashland for the hospitality and great meal as it had been several years since they had hosted a meeting. A Continuing Education class was conducted by Training Officer Valeta Daniels on Medical Legal. The meeting was conducted by District VP Kenny Frenier with 15 squads represented. The District was advised of the changes for the 80th Conference. A new category for Heavy Extrication competition called open, where as the equipment will be provided and the team only needs to bring their personal safety equipment. The opening ceremony will be held on Wednesday and a cookout will be held on Thursday evening. These changes should make for
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them. District III made the annual donation of $350 to the EMS Memorial Service to support the family’s that attend. Important dates for VAVRS were announced as well as the next District meeting will be Saturday May 3 at Bensley Rescue. All are invited to attend at North Station #2 at 5701 Jefferson Davis Highway, North Chesterfield, VA 23234. Continuing Ed Class starts at 4:00 p.m. and dinner
May 16-17, 2014 - Buena Vista EMS Week May 19 - 25, 2014 VAVRS Rescue College June 6-15, 2014--Virginia Tech, Blacksburg IRECA 2011 Conference & Competition June 6-15, 2014--TBA National EMS Memorial Service June 28, 2014--Colorado Springs VAVRS Conference September 24-27, 2014--Va Beach Virginia EMS Symposium November 11-15, 2014 -- Norfolk VAVRS Executive Committee April 4, 2014 - Bristol
and meeting at 5:30 p.m. All squads are reminded that dues and activity reports are due in to the VAVRS by March
May 31, 2014 - Teleconference August 9, 2014 - TBA September 25, 2014 - Va Beach
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SVEC Presents Life Saved Award to Appomattox Regional Governor’s School Submitted by Harold Good, Southside Virginia Emergency Crew In EMS, it’s rare to run a call where you truly feel like you have made a difference in a person’s life.
found her to be pulseless and apneic. School staff members Jean Joyner, RN, and Kristina Fritz started CPR immediately and the engine arrived on scene moments later. Ellie was initially placed on an AED, which delivered one shock as Paramedic Betts on Medic 1 arrived on scene. Ellie was switched to a cardiac monitor while CPR was continued, and at the next pulse check the rhythm was identified as ventricular fibrillation, commonly referred to as V-Fib. After another shock and a few more cycles of ACLS protocols, a pulse check revealed a strong pulse with spontaneous respirations. After rapid transport to Southside
Southside Virginia Emergency Crew’s Mary “Bee” Betts had one of those moments on the morning of November 22nd, 2013. Ellie Whelan, a 16 year old sophomore at the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for Arts and Technology, was participating in a school assembly when she collapsed suddenly. School personnel quickly activated 911. The initial dispatch was an engine and a medic for a possible seizure. The first unit on scene was a police officer who was close to the scene. The officer quickly got to Ellie and Official
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Regional Medical Center, Ellie was started on VCU Medical Center’s Advanced Resuscitation Cooling Therapeutics and Intensive Care (ARCTIC) protocol and transferred by helicopter to VCU Medical Center’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Two days later, Ellie was extubated and regained consciousness. Ellie’s initial neurological function appeared very promising with few deficits noted. After nine days, an extensive battery of diagnostic tests, and surgery to implant a demand pacemaker/ defibrillator device, Ellie was discharged home. Since then, Ellie has steadily made (Continued on page 43)
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SVEC Presents Life Saved Award to Appomattox Regional Governor’s School (Continued from page 42)
progress and most of the deficits have been resolved. Seventeen days after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest, Ellie returned to school. She has been through countless tests since and has said multiple times, “I just want to go back to normal.” There are several factors in this case that contributed to a positive outcome. First, and possibly most importantly, staff members at the school are CPR certified and quickly responded to the incident. Next, first responders were on scene quickly and provided high -quality CPR and early defibrillation. Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was obtained in the field and Ellie was started on a comprehensive post-arrest care plan. Southside Virginia Emergency Crew held a life saved award ceremony in January at the Appomattox Regional
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Governor’s School where the two staff members who performed CPR were presented their Life Saved awards by Ellie Whelen. The school was also given an award for exemplary service for the care provided to Ellie. With the support of Ellie’s parents, Jim and Elizabeth Whelan, the Southside Virginia Emergency Crew has set a goal of obtaining five hundred Hands-Only CPR kits to train twenty-five hundred people in CPR. Richmond Ambulance
Authority, the American Heart Association, and the Virginia Heart Attack Coalition have offered assistance to SVEC to ensure this important skill is taught to as many people as possible. Our sincerest hope is that this unfortunate medical emergency will pave the way for a higher sense of community emergency preparedness and, ultimately, increased success rates for pre -hospital resuscitation in our community.
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Bensley-Bermuda Volunteer Rescue Squad Celebrates 60 Years, Installation of Officers
Submitted by Micky Grodski, Publicity for Bensley-Bermuda The Bensley-Bermuda Volunteer Rescue (BBVRS) Squad recently held its 60th Officers Installation Banquet and awards ceremony at the Holiday Inn (Southpark) in Colonial Heights on January 28th 2014. The ceremony was hosted by the Bensley Bermuda Auxiliary. BBRVS members present at ceremony included Senior Squad, Life Members and Auxiliary members. Edward “Bubby” Bush, Director of Operations, Southside Emergency Crew, Petersburg, VA and the immediate past president of the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads (VAVRS) administered the oath of office to the 2014 officers. Official
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Pictured L-R the 2014 BBVR Officers: Gary Frame, Immediate Past President/ Board Member, Charles “Chuck: Mayle, Board Member; Linda Winger, Secretary; Dawn Helton, Vice President; Dr. John Olson, President; Chris Craft, Building and Grounds; Jim Jones, Chaplain; Micky Grodski, Publicity and, Sandra Epps, Transportation Officer. Officers not pictured: Rory Strum, Treasurer; Mike Manzelli, Chief of Operations; John Styer, Night Operations and Supply Officer: Beth Austin, Weekend Operations; Beth Strum, Comptroller: Bill Mangum, Equipment Officer; Gerri Kirkhum, Parliamentarian: Susan Lowe, Safety, Health and Training Officer; Ron Wright, Bike Team Captain, and Jonathan Hughes, Communications Officer. VAVRS
In May of 2014 the BBVRS will proudly celebrate 60 years of providing emergency service to the eastern portion of Chesterfield County. The squad responded to approximately 750 calls for assistance in an area of approximately 75 square miles with a population of over 70,000. The service BBVRS provides includes emergency care on basic and advanced life support levels and a bike team and also relies on many volunteers who devote their time to serve their community. For more information contact us at 804-915-7367 or visit us online at http://www.bbvrs.net. Page
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Dear Rescue Ranger Dear Rescue Ranger, I attended the Stuarts Draft Banquet and heard you tell the group that your wife beats you. I was so sorry to hear that. How often does that occur? J. S. Dear Justin, Every time we play Scrabble!
Dear Rescue Ranger, I get so nervous and frightened during E.V.O.C. practical driving tests! B. B Dear Bubby, Don't worry about it. You'll pass eventually. You’re the instructor.
Dear Rescue Ranger, My stomach is getting awfully big. Should I diet? Porky Dear Porky, What color?
Dear Rescue Ranger, I was told that you don’t eat vegetables? Why not? T. G. Dear Tommy,
Dear Rescue Ranger, My hair keeps falling out. What do you suggest I use to keep it in? R. S. Dear Ronnie, A shoebox. Dear Rescue Ranger, I was a recent patient you treated. If you remember I had fallen, suffered a mild concussion and was a little out of my head. I remember you telling me that I was in good health and that I will probably live to be eighty. Well, for your information I am 80. A. P. E. Dear Page, See, what did I tell you.
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Dear Rescue Ranger, I have enclosed an early photo of me and hoping you will share one of your early photos…
B.B. Dear Bubby,
Dear Rescue Ranger, I have been struggling with understanding medical terms. Can you give me a good illustration of cardiac arrest? W.B. Dear Wayne, This is the best I could find...
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PO Box 279 2535 Turkey Creek Road Oilville, VA 23129 ISSN 0279-6023
NON-PROFIT ORGAN.. U.S.POSTAGE PAID WOODSTOCK, VA PERMIT NO. 82
Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads, Inc.
Phone: 804-749-8191 Phone: 800-833-0602 Fax: 804-749-8910 E-mail: vavrs@vavrs.com
"Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay down His Life For His Friends." John 15:13
VAVRS Conference Housing Info 2014 Annual VAVRS Conference - September 24-28, 2014 Mail or fax reservation to: VAVRS Housing Bureau, 2101 Parks Ave Suite. 500, VA Beach, VA 23451 or fax to 757-437-6039 or email to ellogan@vbgov.com RESERVATIONS DEADLINE: 8/15/2014. For complete details go to www.vavrs.com
WANTED —— RESCUE TEAMS The Rescue Contest Committee is seeking teams for the 2014 VAVRS conference in Virginia Beach. The contest provides each team member the ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a problem designed specifically for rescue teams. The guidelines and rules for competing teams will be mailed to you upon request. Questions – contact Lin Matthews (804-405-1247) Kelly Southard (540-718-0342) or Bill Camm (434-546-6909) Come join the fun and excitement of competing, use your knowledge and skills, and represent your squad at the conference. Hear your squad’s name called at the awards ceremony when you win a trophy. We are looking forward to seeing more teams compete in the Rescue Contest at the annual conference September 23 -28, 2014.