VIRGINIA LIFELINE
MARCH / APRIL
2012
M A R C H
/
V I R G I N I A
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
2
P a g e
3
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
S. Craig Lane Receives Plaque for 30 Years of Service as the VAVRS Legal Advisor (L to R) 'Bubby" Bish, President, Craig Lane, Legal Advisor,
J.C. Phillips, Parliamentarian."
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
AVAVRS Officers
4
AVAVRS Committee Chairs
President - Fern Puckett
Convention - Janis Slough
Vice President - Sharon Campbell
Convention Co-Chair - Vickie Arnold
Secretary - Dolores Hudson
Life Membership - Ruth Swicegood
Treasurer - Kitty Campbell
Nominating - Carolyn Brand
Chaplain - Clara Craig
Resolutions - Harry Householder
Historian - Heather S. Fox
Emergency Care - Ailease Short
Parliamentarian - Harry Householder
Membership - Sharon K. Campbell
Immediate Past President - Joan Smoot
Finance - Kitty Campbell
Midwestern VP - Sheila Gordon
Roll Call - Jean Garrett
Northeastern VP - Eddie Ann Orndoff
Roll Call Co-Chair - Valarie Becker
Southcentral VP - Patsy Wingfield
Recruitment & Retention - Marie Householder
Southeastern VP - Gary Frame
Fund Raising - Linda Berkstresser
Southwestern VP - Jean Garrett Western VP - Curtis Preston
From the AVAVRS Midwestern District Submitted by Sheila Gordon, AVAVRS Midwestern District Vice President The Midwestern District consists of Christiansburg, Franklin and Marion auxiliaries. The following 2011/2012 Officers were installed by AVAVRS Vice President, Sharon Campbell at our November district meeting held in Riner.
Vice President Assistant Vice President Secretary/Treasurer Chaplain Historian Parliamentarian EMT Chair
Sheila Gordon Dolores Hudson Pat Bryant Ruth Swicegood Nancy Linkous Anita Fizer Margaret Bishop
The next Midwestern District meeting will be held in Newport on February 18th. I'd like to thank Midwestern District for their support and confidence in electing me as there VP. I'm planning on attending Spring Officers Workshop and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
5
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
From the AVAVRS President Submitted by Fern Puckett, AVAVRS President Hello to everyone, Spring is just around the corner and we welcome the warmer weather. I want to thank each of you for your hard work and dedicated services you give not only to your Squad and Community but to the Association. As we are well into our new year, we start making plans for the Spring Officers Workshop on April 14th. This year it will be held at the Holiday Inn Koger Center, 1021 Koger Center Blvd., Richmond, VA 23235. As this is a working session for the AVAVRS Officers, I extend a warm welcome to our Life Members and Auxiliary Presidents. I have been traveling during the year and had the honor of holding the installation of officers for Southwestern District, Western District, Clifton Forge Auxiliary, Staunton/Augusta Auxiliary, Loudoun Auxiliary, Lexington Auxiliary and Greater Manassas Auxiliary. I want to thank each District and Auxiliary for the overwhelming hospitality shown to me during my visits. I also attended the VAVRS Executive session at the State office in November and the telephone conference executive session in February. Rescue College will be held at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. This is a great opportunity for our members to enroll and attend classes that are offered by the VAVRS. The Auxiliary Management class will be held on June 15th and 16th, and I have made every effort to make this class not only educational but enjoyable. I hope that each of you will make plans to attend this year. The registration forms are on the VAVRS website at www.vavrs.com and the deadline to enroll is April 16th. I ask everyone to keep our members in prayer that have sickness or have lost a loved one during the year. As I receive information I have forwarded it on to my contact email lists, and it can also be found on the Friends and Family section on the VAVRS website. I look forward to seeing each of you very soon as I visit your District meeting and work for the betterment of our association.
AVAVRS Theme ―Hands That Serve‖ ―Hearts That Care‖ V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
6
From the Western District Vice President Submitted by Curtis D. Preston, Western District Vice President Hoping everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a great start to the New Year! I had a wonderful time participating in the Lexington, Buena Vista, Glasgow and Broadway Christmas parades. Good job to all planners of these parades. I was saddened to hear of the loss of one of the Waynesboro Rescue Squad Members. The outpouring of love and respect for this young man, Kyle Southern, was deeply felt not only by myself but for everyone there family night. Gone but not forgotten. Our next District Meeting will be held at Founder's on the 26th of February at 1:00pm. Am looking forward to seeing everyone.
From the Waynesboro FAC Auxiliary Submitted by Celia (Ce Ce) McCormick-Historian for the Waynesboro First Aid Crew Auxiliary Hello again to everyone, We prepared an annual Christmas Dinner for 150 Vector Employee's We have been doing this for along time. They love our Mac and Cheese. Crew member Ashley Cook and Auxiliary member Wanda Braden attended the Fire Department Banquet an appreciation award given to the crew and the auxiliary for their support through the year. The auxiliary was given an appreciation dinner by the Waynesboro first aid crew for all our hard work through out the year, It was held at Rowes in Staunton. Thank you Waynesboro first aid crew. We had our annual Children's Christmas Party with Santa and a gift for each child. We also have our annual New years eve party. We always have a great time. We are putting new mum's in the Memorial garden. Attending the Western District which was at Fairfield. Norma Lee Braden was installed for EMT chairmen 2nd term. We had two seating's for our annual picture project we did very well. Thanks for all the participation from everyone and a special thanks to our own Cindy Banks. We prepared a Banquet dinner for the Hermitage Church. The auxiliary prepared our annual Thanksgiving Dinner for the crew and their family's. At the end of November we had out first Movie Night. We had a small group of 9 but we all had a great time. cant wait to do it again soon. In January we had our annual awards Banquet this was a emotional one we had a memorial service for one of our Honorary Members Alice Bryant. And just the day before we lost one of our Senior Crew members, Kyle Southern, age 21, in a tragic wreck. We had a tribute in honor of him. He is going to be sadly missed by all. During this time the auxiliary helped with Food, Love and Support in way of the crew and Kyle's Family. Each month we go out to celebrate auxiliary member's birthday's and prepare meals for the first of the month drill's on Thursday night and Friday morning with breakfast. So we have been a little busy since the new year, Everyone have a great SPRING... V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
7
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
From the AVAVRS EMT Chairperson Submitted by Ailease Short AVAVRS EMT Chairperson I am hoping that all the auxiliaries across the state are trying to do something to promote First Aid and Emergency Care in your respective areas of the state. At our Southeastern District meeting in November, I encouraged each Auxiliary present to go back and do something to help get the word out there to promote Emergency Care in their area. I gave each Auxiliary representative a sample “Circle the word” puzzle to share with their members back home. We need to do something to spark some interest back across the state for the Auxiliaries to keep their brains working geared toward Emergency care in some form or the other. I passed out little goody bags with “body parts” candy to go along with the puzzles. I would love to see the Auxiliaries get back into competing at some level. Maybe we could have District teams or joint auxiliary teams. Talk among yourselves and let me know any ideas. Even it is just something for fun. The Auxiliaries across the state are so important to their individual squads and offer them so much support. Let think of ways to get us back on the Emergency Care bus!
From the AVAVRS Southwestern District Submitted by Jean Garrett, Southwestern District Vice President and Bristol Auxiliary President The Southwestern District held the second meeting of the year on January 21st at Glade Spring with a very good turn out. State officers present were: Ruth & Jack Swicegood, Dolores Hudson, Vickie Arnold, Sharon Campbell, Clara Craig & Guest- Lane Lusk, Ricky Hodge and Michael Berg of the office of Emergency Medical Services. Glade Spring Rescue provided a delicious dinner. Our District has already held the installation of officers. We had thirty four members and guests to attend a Christmas get together at Shoney's in Abingdon, Va. for an enjoyable dinner. The installation of officers for the Bristol Auxiliary and the Senior Squad was held together during the Christmas Banquet at Exit 7 Holiday Inn. The auxiliary provided door prizes for this function. I had the privilege of presenting Mrs. Aileen Rutherford a fifty-five(55) year service plaque. The AVAVRS has just celebrated it's 60th anniversary and Aileen has been a member 55 out of 60 years. This is dedication. We are looking forward to the Spring Officers Workshop in Richmond VA and Rescue College in June at Va. Tech. Our next district meeting will be held on April 21st at the Cleveland Rescue Squad. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
8
Cave Spring Rescue Auxiliary Submitted by Sharon Karlet Campbell, Cave Spring Auxiliary Upcoming Activities The members of the Cave Spring Rescue Squad Auxiliary held their first meeting for 2012 on January 25th and it looks like we have a fairly full schedule in the months ahead. First we welcomed a prospective new member and then we recognized Edith Martin for her 35 years of service to the auxiliary and 28 years for Patsy Wingfield. We are very lucky to have the knowledge and work ethic that these two ladies bring to our organization. Katie Arnold had a presentation of the advertising that she has planned for our upcoming Spring Chicken Barbecue, which will be held on May 5th. This is a project for her college marketing class and she has and is doing such a great job. Hopefully her professor will recognize her time and talents. Katie has also set up a “Cave Spring Rescue Squad Auxiliary Facebook page” so she is getting our name out there. Angie Williams and Edith Martin are getting started on making the BBQ Sauce necessary for the barbeque. This secret recipe is what makes the chicken so good and we also sell it by the pint or quart to the public. We voted to collect school supplies and snacks for Mount Pleasant Elementary School. We always do this project in the fall but in talking with the school, their supplies were almost non-existent. We have delivered three boxes of school supplies and 4 boxes plus some bags of nutritional snacks. The kids send us wonderful “thank you” notes and we are happy to do our part in seeing that these kids are not hungry. The crew is hosting the 6th District VAVRS meeting on the 19th of February. The Auxiliary will be fixing and serving lunch and we hope there will be a big crowd. The menu is going to consist of ham, macaroni and cheese, green beans, salad, rolls and desserts. Once again we are going to make and sell Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs. We will be spending a lot of time at the crew hall and we will have a slew of people offering to do a “taste test”. This year we are going to offer eggs for $3.00 each in the following flavors: Butter Cream, Peanut Butter Cream, Chocolate Cream, Coconut Cream and Strawberry Cream. Hopefully we will be attending different district meetings so you too will have your chance to buy these delicious eggs. We anticipate holding a Spring Yard Sale on Saturday, April 28th. Currently we are beating the bushes for items to sell. We continue to do a RADA knife order each month. This is not a fantastic money making project but it provides a nice return and the product sells itself. (Continued on page 9)
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
9
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
Cave Spring Rescue Auxiliary continued (Continued from page 8)
During our meeting we fixed goodie Valentine bags for the crew members. The crew members enjoyed them while attending their business meeting on February 1st. We had enough left over that we could hang them from our “Goodie Tree” for the EMT class. We finally finished refurbishing the crew patch board display but we need more patches. We would love for you to send us your crew patch so it can be added to the display. It can be sent to me or to the crew address marked to my attention and I’ll see that it gets added. Many of the patches we have are from crews no longer in existence, how sad that the number of volunteer crews is decreasing. The groundhog saw his shadow so that means 6 more weeks of winter. My hope is that the next 6 weeks will be as mild as the winter has been so far. To each of you, we wish you a great early spring and hope to see you soon.
From the AVAVRS Chaplain Submitted by Clara Craig, AVAVRS Chaplain Wow, what a warm Winter we have been having. We are looking forward to Spring and the flowers blooming. I have had the opportunity to attend several auxiliary district meetings. It was a real blessing to attend the events and visit with my friends. I plan to visit other districts in upcoming months. I have been sending cards and updates of prayer requests as requested. Please continue to remember those that have serious health problems and those who have had a loved one who has passed away. I am looking forward to seeing my friends and making new ones at the Spring Officers Workshop and Rescue College. My hope is that you will have a wonderful Spring and blessed Easter holiday. My prayer is that each one will remember the real reason we celebrate Easter. The death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior-Jesus Christ. He lives that we might have eternal life. May the Lord watch over and bless each of you. Matthew 28:1-8. He is risen! In Christ and Volunteer Service, Clara Craig. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
Executive Committee Meetings April 13, 2012 Koger Center, Richmond 7:30 p.m. June 2, 2012 Teleconference 9:00 a.m. August 11, 2012 VA Beach Resort and Conference Center 9:00 a.m. September 27, 2012 VA Beach Resort and Conference Center 10:00 a.m.
Upcoming Events April 14, 2012 Spring B.O.G. Meeting Holiday Inn-Richmond June 9—17, 2012 Rescue College Blacksburg June 23, 2012 National EMS Memorial Service Colorado Springs, CO September 26—29, 2012 VAVRS Convention Virginia Beach
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
The Spring Board of Governors Meeting will be held on April 14, 2012 at the Holiday Inn Select, Koger Center South, 1021 Koger Center Blvd, Richmond, VA 23235 beginning at 9:00 a.m.
1 0
P a g e
1 1
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
Officers
Committee Chairs
President Edward B. “ Bubby” Bish Jr.
Nominating—R. Bruce Stratton Membership/Personnel—Rickey Hodge Life Membership—Ronnie Slough Bylaws—Bruce Edwards Hall of Fame—A. Page Entsminger Convention—Ford Wirt EMS Representative—Dreama Chandler EMS Representative—Wayne Myers, Jr. Rescue College Co-Chair—Rickey Hodge Rescue College Co-Chair—Wayne Myers EMS Advisory Board—Dreama Chandler EMS Advisory Board—Wayne Myers Grant—Elizabeth Enos JSW/FEW Scholarship Fund—Carolyn Brand National EMS Memorial Service—Kevin L. Dillard EMS Exchange Program—Jane LaVerne Recruitment and Retention—Fran Phillips Course Development—Doug Eberhardt Facility Manager—Lin Matthews Redistricting Study—Wanda B. Morehead Volunteer Management—J. C. Phillips Legislative—Dreama Chandler
Vice President Rickey Hodge Secretary Connie Moore Treasurer Steven Dove Training Officer Scott Davis Chaplain/Editor Gary Dalton Historian Mike Smoot Immediate Past President Steve Grayson Legal Advisor S. Craig Lane Medical Advisor
James R. Dudley, MD, MBA
Parliamentarian Lobbyist
J. C. Phillips
Ed Rhodes
Training Coordinator Kathy Eubank Administrative Secretary
Shirley Bagby
District 1 V. P. Scott Masincup District 2 V. P. Carolyn White District 3 V. P. Thomas Gwaltney District 4 V. P. Karen Wagner District 5 V. P. James Fontaine District 6 V. P. June Ann Wilkes District 7 V. P. Thomas E. Harris “Ted” District 8 V. P. Teresa F. Whitlock District 9 V. P. Claude Graybeal District 10 V. P. Ronald Ridgley
Diamond Reflections
"Diamond Reflections" a book regarding the first 75 years of the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads is now available from the VAVRS Office by calling the VAVRS Office at 800-833-0602 - The more than 250 page hardback book has chapters about our history, our Past Presidents, Life Members, Hall of Fame members, VAVRS/AVAVRS/VAJVRS officers, State Conventions, Rescue College, and much more. For only $30.00 plus $5.00 shipping, you can own your own copy of this beautiful documentation of 75 years of the VAVRS. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
1 2
The 60 Second Parliamentarian Tip Submitted by J. C. Phillips, VAVRS Parliamentarian For all of you that e-mail me or will e-mail me in the future concerning parliamentary questions, I have a tip that will improve the communications between us. In fact, I have two tips. Tip No. 1 - Make sure you type in the right e-mail address for me. My email address is rs1va@aol.com not rslva@aol.com. Did you catch the difference? My Virginia Rescue Squad license plate number is RS1 so that is why I use RS1VA. Depending on the computer font that is used, it is sometimes hard to tell a number "1" from the lower case "L" which is "l." Have I confused you yet? Remember, it is rs1va@aol.com and not rslva@aol.com. Tip No 2 - I have a spam folder on my computer and if an unknown e-mail address is sent to me, it goes into that spam folder. If I don't recognize the e-mail address and the subject is left blank, it gets deleted. To prevent this e-mail from being deleted, please next to the subject type in "BYLAWS." This way I will know that it is not spam. Over the years, I have found out that one or both of these reasons is why I have not received or read some of the e-mails sent to me.. If you follow these two tips, I will read your e-mails and get answers back to you as soon as possible.
From District Four Submitted by Gary Dalton District 4 Training Officer The Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS by a High School Senior
The Dr. Carol Gilbert $5,000 Scholarship Michaela Fleming For Michaela, becoming involved in EMS was “in her blood”, as generations of her family beginning with her great grandfather, volunteered at their local EMS agency. Michaela is a dedicated and talented high school senior who has divided her time between AP coursework (to maintain her 3.71 GPA), extracurricular activities and volunteering on the Woodstock Junior Rescue Squad. Her goals are set on continuing education in the nursing field and bridging those skills to the paramedic level with her squad. She values the importance of volunteering in the community and hopes that one day she’ll pass on the dedication and passion she has for EMS to her children. Michaela’s contributions to Virginia’s local, regional and state EMS system are exceptional and greatly valued by the Commonwealth of Virginia. ‖ CONGRATULATIONS MICHAELA ! ‖ V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
1 3
R&R Committee
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
Tell Your Story Through Social Media
Submitted by Bobby Hill, Recruitment Coordinator, Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation and VAVRS Recruitment and Retention Committee Co-Chair Every day you are bombarded with at least 50,000 thoughts. 80% are uninvited and most are negative in nature. Good news does not sell. You have to generate good news and this means telling positive stories before someone else generates a negative story about you or your organization. It doesn’t matter if you use social media, read it in print or communicate P2P [person to person]. Someone is telling a story, selling something, or promoting an agenda. I am not going to get into rules, laws and policies surrounding what you can say or can’t say except one; “If you wouldn’t want your mother to see or read about you, your agency in a compromising situation I wouldn’t post it, or print it.” What I am going to share with you today are a few of the types of social media platforms available to tell your story/promote your volunteer fire/EMS agency. If you are not promoting your organization with, “telling your story” through social media, your chances of surviving as a strong non-profit organization are probably on the decline. Even the smallest volunteer organization with no marketing funds can setup for free several of the social media platforms that I am about to discuss. We are going to briefly talk about: Professional Facebook Pages Blogging FLICKR Photo Account YouTube Video Account There are many other social media platforms out there and new ones are created on a regular basis along with social media experts that you can consult. You have to ask yourself the following question. “Can I make time or find someone to setup the platforms and to update the platforms regularly with fresh content?” It is simple to setup some of the accounts. It takes as little as ten minutes. But, will you or someone take the time to upload fresh content on a regular basis. There is nothing worst than going to a blog or a professional Facebook page, and it has been weeks or months since a new posting has taken place. Well, there is something worst. A website link that is no longer working. Speaking of websites: I am not going to talk about websites other than to say that you can build a website for free, or invest small to big bucks to create, host and maintain a website and with content management software (I don’t recommend Flash) you do have flexibility to change content. I believe a Blog is a better way to “tell your story” in conjunction with a Professional Facebook, YouTube Video Account and a Flickr Photo Account. (Continued on page 14)
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
1 4
(Continued from page 13)
Professional Facebook Page: A professional Facebook page can be created in ten minutes and for free. I don’t recommend a “Friends” personal Facebook page under your volunteer agencies name. A Friends Facebook Page is designed for the individual person to generate “friends” and has some limitations including a maximum number of “friends” allowed to like your Facebook. With a Professional Facebook Page you can list information about your organization such as location, mission, contact information, list special upcoming events, create photo’s and video’s of your organization. A Professional Facebook Page has no maximum number of “likes” and a person can find you on Google Maps. A good reason to create a Professional Facebook Page using your volunteer organizations name is to prevent someone else from using your name. It has been known to happen. You can allow people to leave comments about your postings or restrict comments. You can also create links to other Facebook sites. However, you are restricted to the number of characters you can embed in a Facebook posting. I have included a few links to Facebook pages for you to review including the VA Beach Rescue Squad Foundation Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/livesneedsaving, another is the VAVRS District Ten Facebook site at: http://www.facebook.com/VAVRSDistrict10, and you can also see the Virginia Office of EMS Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/VirginiaEMS/153545858005772 and finally the VAVRS Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/VirginiaAssociation-of-Volunteer-Rescue-Squads/110829372281923. Lets talk for a minute about a ―Blog‖. What is a Blog and how would a Blog benefit a volunteer rescue squad? Basically a blog is a web-based journal of events or actions sometimes following one person or an organization. You can create a “blog” using a free program or purchase a software program that comes with a few more bells and whistles. Word Press is a popular program that incorporates content management software that allows you to upload, make changes and control the content 24 hours a day. Couple of nice things about a blog, you do not have the word limitations that you have with Facebook, you can also control comments, create links to other sites, include photos, videos and among other actions, embed audio and PDF files. I like the fact that you can generate a posting today and schedule it to be uploaded to your blog hours, days or even weeks down the road. Pretty cool! I generate postings several times a week to my recruiting blog and create links back to my blog from my recruiting Facebook site. Basically I create a “tickler” [short burst of action words] in my recruiting Facebook site with a link to my blog where a person can find the full report. A blog can take on the look of a website and even be use in lieu of a website to recruit, market, accept on line donations, etc. A few fire/EMS blog sites to look at: a personal blog site called EMS1, http://www.ems1.com/ems-blogs/ The JEMS Magazine blog site, http:// connect.jems.com/ and the VA Beach Rescue Squad recruiting blog site at: http://www.livesneedsaving.org/blog/. (Continued on page 15)
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
1 5
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
(Continued from page 14)
Now lets talk about digital photo and video sites. FLICKR Photo and Video: Flickr is an imaged and video based hosting site located on-line [web based]. Flickr comes with a free hosting [some limitations to file size, number of uploads] or a paid hosting [a lot more bells and whistles]. You can create special events by name of event, date, time and even GPS location. You can generate a descriptive and create tags [special key words that can be linked to other sites, photos, groups and people]. You can embed FLICKR photos or links into a Blog, and a Facebook site among other sites. You can authorize or restrict uploads from individuals to your FLICKR site. You can take a look at the VA Beach Rescue Squad FLICKR site at: http://www.flickr.com/search/? q=virginia+beach+rescue+squad&f=hp You can also upload videos to your FLICKR site. Finally, lets talk about YouTube. YouTube Video Account: YouTube is one of several video based hosting sites located on line. YouTube has a free account and a paid account. You can upload larger files to the paid side of YouTube. Once you upload your video you can change or add background music, make graphic changes and generate a word summary defining what the video is all about and include links to Facebook and Blog sites among other sites. Some videos can generate income back to your organization. This usually involves linking marketing ads to your video. You an take a look at the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation YouTube site at: http://www.youtube.com/ user/VBRSFOUNDATION? ob=0
In conclusion: I have just touched briefly on some of the social media platforms available to you. Have I gone completely over to the dark side of the social marketing force? No. I do rely heavily on social marketing and it generates results in recruiting, retention and donations. However, I do recruit in local newspapers, special newsprint such as a couple of local military newspapers, conduct radio burst [two week radio burst, 4 times a year] and I attend concerts, career fairs, school fairs, malls events, church events, sporting events to name a few. Oh, by the way, nearly all of my marketing skills are a combination of self-taught [I love to read], attending local community based social marketing programs, some free and some I paid for myself. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
1 6
Deadline for the Upcoming Issues of the 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: February 10, 2012 for March/April April 10, 2012 for May/June June 10, 2012 for July/August August 10, 2012 for September/October September 1, 2012 for Convention October 10, 2012 for November/December
For a complete list of the current courses being offered by the VAVRS go to www.vavrs.com
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 (E-MAIL) gdalton@vavrs.com
Requests for advertising rates, material specifications and deadlines should be directed to the Editor.
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
1 7
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
V I R G I N I A
2 0 1 2
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
1 8
Degenerative Neurological Disorders Lt. Brian F. Talty CC-EMT-P; Assistant Operations Supervisor Richmond Ambulance Authority ~Let’s get a brief run through of some common degenerative neurological disorders that many of us have probably forgotten about. You have been there; your patient is dictating their PMH and one of those “weird diseases” from way back in the back of the chapter of your medic book. Instead of showing some humility and asking, “What is that again?” we tend to remain arrogant and pretend like we know what they are talking about. I have heard before that arrogance is ignorance, in cases like these, your ignorance could have untoward effects on your patients. ~Alzheimer’s Disease – It is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. The disease results from death and disappearance of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex and this causes marked atrophy (decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue) of the brain. Initially, patients will have problems with short term memory and this will usually progress to problems with though and intellect. The patient will develop a shuffling gait and will have stiffness of the body muscles. With progression of the disease the patient will develop aphasia (inability to speak) and severe psychiatric disturbances. Towards the end of life they will become decorticate (flexion of the extremities toward the body) and will eventually lose all ability think, speak and move. ~Muscular Dystrophy (MD) – Refers to a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive muscle weakness and degeneration of the skeletal or voluntary muscle fibers. The heart and other involuntary muscles are affected in some types of MD. There are several forms of MD and some appear in early childhood while others are not apparent until middle age. ~Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – Unpredictable disease of the central nervous. MS involves inflammation of the certain nerve cells followed by demyelination, or the destruction of the myelin sheath, which is the fatty insulation surrounding nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. When the myelin sheath is damaged, the nerves are unable to properly conduct impulses. The disease is known to involve an autoimmune attack against myelin and patients may have signs of weakness, sensory loss, paresthesias (sensation of pricking, tingling, or creeping on the skin) and changes in vision. ~Dystonias – A group of disorders characterized by muscle contraction that cause twisting and repetitive movements, abnormal postures, or freezing in the middle of an action. Such movements are involuntary and sometimes painful. They may affect a single muscle, muscle group or the whole body. ~Parkinson’s Disease – Parkinson’s belongs to a group of condition known as motor system disorders. Parkinson’s is a chronic and progressive disorder with four main characteristics; 1-Tremor-Sometimes called “pill rolling”, the typical tremor is a rhythmic back and forth motion of the thumb and forefinger. It usually begins in the hand and progress to an arm, a foot, or the jaw. 2-Rigidity- All muscles have an opposing muscle, in the health adult one muscle contracts while the opposing muscle relaxes. In Parkinson’s the balance is off creating rigidity.
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
1 9
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
3-Bradykinesia-Normal, spontaneous, and autonomic movement is lowed and sometimes lost. Such loss of movement is unpredictable. While one moment the patient can move easily, the next moment he cannot. 4-Postural Instability-Impaired balance and coordination cause patients to develop a forward or backward lean, stooped posture and the tendency to fall easily. Parkinson’s patients may also suffer from depression, shuffling gait (walk), “stone” face and dementia. ~That is just a few, next week we will hit on Central Pain Syndrome, Bell’s Palsy, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Myoclonus, Spina Bifida and Poliomyelitis. ~Remember that often times arrogance is ignorance, keep both of them far away from you, your partner and your patient. ~An education is expensive but knowledge is free, please feel free to distribute this to whomever you want. If you wish to receive these emails directly, email your name and address and I will add you to the mailing list. ~The person that knows HOW will always have a job, the person that knows WHY will always be their boss. Remember to always act in your patient’s best interest, always use sound clinical judgment and always follow your protocols. *This is supplemental educational material that is researched and distributed by Brian Talty. I attempt to ensure accuracy but there may be some instances of incorrect facts or material or grammatical errors that mislead the reader. These are written from experience, EMS books in library and research done on the internet. These are meant to bring out things that you have forgotten in the back of your brain and to encourage critical thinking. The base of the subject given here but the core must be researched on your own and application is pursuant to your agency protocol. These in no way replace your protocols and should never jeopardize patient care. Please remember that I try to ensure 100% accuracy but I am human and mistakes may sent out. If there is something that does not look right, question it or research it on your own eliminate confusion. I may be reached at 804-874-8724 or by email, btalty@raaems.org. *
V I R G I N I A
my is
be to
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
2 0
In Honor Of Our Departed Members These sixteen providers and support personnel are no longer with us and are remembered for their service and dedication to our communities and to the delivery of quality patient care in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The 2012 VAVRS Memorial Service will memorialize these VAVRS members whose death occurred between September 1, 2011 and September 1st, 2012. If your agency has additional members that should be recognized please submit the member’s information and photo along with a scan of your agency patch to the VAVRS Chaplain Gary Dalton by mail to P O Box 522, Woodstock, VA or by email to gdalton@vavrs.com. For assistance with any issues you have you can also call 540-481-0125.
John S. Bell - Westvaco RS John H. Brandt - Lake of the Woods VRS James P. Catron Jr. - Saltville RS Rawleigh G. Clary - Brunswick VRS William Dickson - White Oak VRS William G. “Sonny” Frank - Colonial Beach VRS Auxiliary Mary Anna C. Greene - Manchester VRS Elworth Johnson - Franklin Co RS Mary Lou Lail - Colonial Beach VRS Auxiliary David V. Lawless - Fieldale-Collinsville VRS Carolyn H. Layne - Holly Grove VRS Alex R. O’Bryhim - Fredericksburg VRS James V. Pelter - Buena Vista RS Jameson G. “Jamie” Powell - Henrico VRS Opal Long Taylor - Clifton Forge RS Bobbie Lee Wood - Westvaco RS
VAVRS Chaplain Submitted by Gary Dalton, VAVRS Chaplain Easter is THE central event in the life of the Church. There is nothing more important to a Christian than the sacrificial death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. His birth was contrary to the laws of life and his death was contrary to the laws of death. As we reflect on what Easter means to us please take the time this Spring season to reflect on the newest it brings to our lives. Personally, I simply love Springtime. I offer you this simple Springtime Prayer: For the flowers that bloom about our feet, for tender grass, so fresh, so sweet. For song of bird, and hum of bee, for all things fair we hear and see. Father in heaven, we thank thee! For blue or stream and blue of sky, for pleasant shade of branches high, for fragrant air and cooling breeze for beauty of the blooming trees, Father in heaven, we thank Thee! V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
2 1
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
VAJVRS OFFICERS
VAJVRS MEMBERSHIP
President Christina Stanley Glade Spring
District 1 Buena Vista Clifton Forge Staunton-Augusta Stuarts Draft Waynesboro
Vice President Cora Fearnow Bensley-Bermuda
District 2 Brunswick
Secretary/Treasurer April Harris Brunswick
District 3 Ashcake Bensley-Bermuda Forest View Hopewell Manchester West Hanover
Chaplain Dylan Coalson Glade Spring Historian Stephen Martone Mountain View
District 4 Loudoun Co Woodstock
District 2 Vice President Jennifer Winston Brunswick
District 5 Danville
District 3 Vice President Cora Fearnow Bensley-Bermuda
District 6 Fieldale Collinsville Franklin Co Ridgeway
District 9 Vice President Christina Stanley Glade Spring VAJVRS ADVISORS Katherine Eubank, Chair Woody T. Conner Micky Grodski Alfred Smith Kim Craig Brandon Baugus
District 7 Blacksburg Giles VAJVRS MEETING INFORMATION District Meetings: Junior District meetings are at the same time & location as the Senior District meetings. Visit www.vavrs.com for complete listings on our home page
District 9 Glade Spring Washington Co District 10 Colonial Beach Frog Level Mountain View
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
2 2
District Ten News Submitted by Steve Dove, VAVRS Treasurer On Sunday, February 5, 2012 District 10 held a meeting at the Orange Volunteer Rescue Squad. Just prior to the meeting Melissa Hall – Mary Washington Healthcare Trauma Program Manager, Sue Connors – Mary Washington Healthcare Trauma Program Administrative Assistant and Tina Skinner – Mary Washington Healthcare EMS Manager conducted a training lecture on Trauma Patients. This informative lecture lasted an hour and BLS and ALS participants received Category 1 Continuing Education through the Office of EMS.
District 10 was excited to have Junior Competition Teams for a BLS Scenario from Mountain View Volunteer Rescue Squad and Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad. Mountain View recently reenergized their Junior Squad and the hard work paid off and their Junior BLS Team took home the first place trophy in this competition. Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad Senior BLS team took home the first place trophy for the BLS Competition held prior to the District 10 Meeting. Despite overcast skies, George Langford set-up and judge the Senior and Junior EVOC Competitions. After all Senior members had an opportunity to compete on the cone course, the course was modified and the Junior had the opportunity to drive an ATV through the cone course. Our Junior EVOC has V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
2 3
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
become a huge hit with the younger members after rolling this program out at the District 10 Rescue Camp for Kids in 2011. While the kids are not receiving any certification for participating, the smiles and excitement displayed on this course is certainly an indication of how much fun they are having and beginning to teach them some concepts of operating a moving vehicle. Lots of information was passed on during our meeting, but there was still time left for everyone to make it to their Super Bowl festivities. Several District 10 Officers and agencies commented on the valuable resource that we are using that our younger generation is now convincing the adults to take advantage of. This is our District Facebook page. We are thrilled that the information we are provided is
(Continued on page 24)
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
2 4
(Continued from page 23)
linked and shared by so many from our Facebook page. We would encourage anyone that has an interest in setting up this valuable communication tool to do so, it cost you nothing but your time. Do not become to concern with the content that could be posted, as you can control many posting aspects of Facebook. We would be happy to help any agency or any District in getting their Facebook page up and
running if you need any assistance. District 10 is currently seeking additional electronic resources to keep our members informed. In the new era of everything becoming electronic we use the feedback from our Junior Squads to evaluate what tools are out there for us. Our next planned venture is to begin working on a Twitter account, so look forward to that coming out in a few months. Our next meeting will not be held until after the Spring BOG meeting in Richmond, we will be meeting again on June 3, 2012 at the King George Volunteer Rescue Squad. Our meeting starts at 1:00 p.m. but beforehand we will offer a training lecture provided by the Mary Washington Healthcare Sexual Assault
Nurse Examiners (SANE) regarding Child Abuse and Neglect. Category 1 Continuing Education hours will be awarded to all those that attend – BLS topic 08 and ALS Topic 91. Our competitions will start at approximately 9:00 a.m. and there is no need to register although it is preferred, if you are interested in participating or have any questions please contact District 10 Vice President Ronald “Sparky” Ridgely. We look forward to seeing everyone in Richmond in April at the Spring Board of Governors meeting. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
2 5
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
Claude Cobler Receive Dalton Award Article taken from the Martinsville Bulletin Breaking News 01/23/12 Claude Cobler received the 2011 Jack Dalton Community Service Award tonight from the Henry County Board of Supervisors. Cobler, who joined the Bassett Rescue Squad in 1966, has a resume of volunteerism and community service that is extensive and still growing. He currently is the training director and president of the board of directors for the Bassett Rescue Squad, and he has served the squad in virtually every facet imaginable during his 46 years, according to a news release. He has served as the squad’s captain a total of 24 years. “Claude Cobler is the quintessential volunteer,” said Jim Adams, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “There is no better example of what community service is all about. He literally has touched the lives of thousands of local residents.” Cobler is certified as an Emergency Medical Technician instructor and an emergency vehicle operator and instructor. He has received commendations for his service from multiple state and local entities and recruited or trained many local leaders to serve as well, including County Administrator Benny Summerlin, Henry County Public Safety Director Dale Wagoner and most members of the county’s public safety staff, Conference Location: the release said. “It would be hard to imagine an EMS system in Henry County without Claude Cobler’s contributions,” Summerlin said. “Claude has impacted every aspect of EMS service for our residents through his service and his training of other volunteers. There are many people alive today because of Claude Cobler’s dedication to EMS and to his community.”
Holiday Inn Roanoke Valley View 3315 Ordway Drive Roanoke, VA 24017 Registration:
Register through Carilion Direct at 540-266-6000 or 800-422-8482. Pre-registration is required. Registration deadline: Friday, April 6, 2012.
The Jack Dalton Community Service Award annually goes to the Henry County resident who best demonstrates the exemplary community service that marked Dalton’s years of public service. Dalton served as a member of the Henry County Board of Supervisors for more than 24 years, and was serving as the To download an application Board Chairman at the time of his death on visit www.vavrs.com/news May 24, 2000.
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
V I R G I N I A
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
2 6
P a g e
2 7
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
Bobby Hill Recognized as the 2011 Virginia Gilpin Distinguished Service Award Recipient by the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation As many of you may or may not know, in 2005 the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation instituted the Virginia Gilpin Distinguished Service Award in order to recognize individuals whose outstanding actions and activities have helped to strengthen and enhance the volunteer rescue squad system in the City of Virginia Beach. Since that time four individuals from this community have been singled out for this honor: Virginia Gilpin, Peter Agelasto, Bill Laws and Dr. Andy Dickinson. Tonight it is my great pleasure, on behalf of the Foundation’s Board of Directors to recognize Robert S. Hill, Jr. as the 2011 Virginia Gilpin Distinguished Service Award recipient. Bobby, as he is known by all, began what would become his lifelong passion for volunteer rescue almost 45 years ago. He has spent the majority of those years as a member of the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad however every squad in this city has benefited from his passion, hard work and enthusiasm. Bobby has been a major motivator and supporter at every level of this system from the many hours he has spent as an active operational member to encouraging new recruits to seeking solutions for retaining and assisting active members. He has made it his personal mission to document and thus tell the Virginia Beach volunteer rescue story through his photographs and videos. Over the years he has received numerous awards and accolades including the Virginia Beach DEMS Medal of Merit and Class Act Awards; the TEMS R.C. Dailey Award and the Captain’s Choice Award from the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad. He recently was appointed Chair of the Virginia Statewide EMS & Fire Recruitment and Retention Committee. In 2009 Bobby retired as Chief Magistrate for the City of Virginia Beach. He then turned his passion into a full time avocation as recruitment coordinator for the Foundation. His intense efforts to encourage recruitment and raise community awareness of this invaluable volunteer system have produced overwhelming results in the numbers of new recruits. Bobby has served his squad and even more so this volunteer system well above and beyond the call. His belief and trust in his fellow volunteers and their abilities is obvious. Bobby’s dedication and selfless determination to encourage, promote and recognize volunteer EMT service especially in the City of Virginia Beach is truly commendable and deserves our deepest appreciation. Thank you, Bobby for all your tireless efforts on behalf of this volunteer system.
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
2 8
Pennington Gap Unit News Submitted by Anthoney Robbins, Public Relations Officer for Pennington Gap Unit of Lee County RS
The Pennington Gap Unit of the Lee County Rescue Squad answered a total of 1,024 calls in 2011, consisting of 2,358 man hours and 10,639 miles. Lee County is located in the Western most tip of Virginia, bordering Tennessee and Kentucky, and is the poorest county in the state. Volunteers are few and far between and the squad recently added professional supplemental staffing to enable timely response to calls. The squad's average enroute time is less than 4 minutes. Lee County is in the process of implementing Enhanced 911 and the quick response time is essential to the success of the system. We had a very successful and productive 2011 and look forward to an even more productive 2012!
VAVRS Nominating Committee Submitted by R. Bruce Stratton, Nominating Committee Chair Our VAVRS has a long and proud history. Our Association has functioned excellently, as intended, to provide its’ members training, organizational support, moral support, and a much needed forum for exchange of information and ideas. The VAVRS has grown to be highly and widely respected. We have members invited and appointed to Va. State level committees. We have been invited to and have provided training (Farm Machinery Extrication) in Canada. We have an ongoing EMS Provider Exchange program with Germany. The National EMS Memorial program had its start with the VAVRS. An organization (any organization) is subject to fail without good leadership. The membership of our VAVRS has repeatedly elected good and qualified leaders. Letters of Intent, Resumes, etc. to place an individual for consideration for an office by your Nominating Committee are due in to the VAVRS Office by June 1st. Please look closely and if you feel that you would be a good candidate for a particular office make it known. Once the information is received at the Office interviews are set up. Candidates for Treasurer go through an interview with a panel including members of the Finance Committee and then with the Nominating Committee. Your Committee has from the 1st of June to the 15th of July to meet to select one candidate for nomination to each office. This looks like a long time. Please remember that Rescue College and the National EMS Memorial Service take place during this period. Both the candidates and Committee members are subject to be on family vacations. A lot of effort goes into scheduling interviews so that each participant is included. So, again, please assure that letters of intent, etc. arrive at the VAVRS Office by June 1st. Your Nominating Committee members (1 member from each District) take their responsibility seriously and are thankful for the opportunity to provide their services as part of your election process. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
2 9
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue Announces Public Safety Officers for 2012 Spotsylvania, VA (January 24, 2012) – Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue (CVFR) has announced its new officers for 2012. The following officers were installed at the organization’s annual banquet on Saturday, January 21 at the American Legion Post 320 in Spotsylvania County:
Fire Chief – Richard Cantillon Administrative Chief – Kevin Dillard Deputy Chief – William Whitby Assistant Chief-Fire – Khary Stringer Assistant Chief-EMS – Eric Lasky Safety Officer – Thad Williams President – Phillip Gouldman Vice President – John Rayman Secretary – Mary Padgett Treasurer – Hollie Williams Board of Directors (at large) – Joseph Habib, Fred Hedge, Denny Kelly Captain Fire/Rescue 5 – Joe Williams Captain Fire/Rescue 6 – Tony Dennis Captain Fire/Rescue 10 – Bob Weber
Nate Johnson named Member of the Year at annual banquet Also, Nate Johnson was honored with the organization’s most prestigious annual award, Member of the Year—2011, for his outstanding service to Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue. He is a past Assistant Fire Chief with the organization. To commemorate this special distinction, Johnson received an engraved plaque during the awards ceremony at the annual banquet. “All of these dedicated public safety officers are passionate about volunteerism in our community,” said Kevin Dillard, Administrative Chief for CVFR. “Collectively, they have donated thousands of hours in training classes and while on-duty at our fire and EMS stations. They are committed to providing professional, high quality fire and rescue services to the citizens of Spotsylvania County.” # # # About CVFR: Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue has served Spotsylvania County for over 50 years. Currently, CVFR has over 300 all-volunteer personnel that operate out of four fire companies and five rescue stations throughout the county. For more information, visit www.cvfr.net. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
3 0
HANOVER RESCUE SQUAD ASSOCIATION
Mr. Randy Krantz (left and above center) with event organizers Jon Von Hagel and Phil Childress February 4, 2012 - East Hanover VRS The Hanover Rescue Squad Association sponsored a seminary presented by Bedford County’s Commonwealth Attorney Mr. Randy Krantz, RN, EMT-P. The seminar was held on February 4, 2012 entitled “Law, Leadership, & Ethics Academy” in the East Hanover VRS Training Room. Over 40 people attended the event that covered proper selection, training, and retention of personnel; personnel challenges, opportunities and solutions; leadership, management and followership; ethical decision making and risk management; application of legal and ethical principles to leadership growth and development; identification of various leadership styles as well as implementation of a Leadership Development Program. The event was also attended by VAVRS R&R Chair Fran Phillips, VAVRS Secretary Connie Moore, VAVRS District 4 Vice President Karen Wagner and VAVRS Chaplain and Editor Gary Dalton. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
3 1
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Celebrates 60 Years of Volunteer Service
Virginia Beach Rescue Squad recognized five volunteers for 35 years service. Left to Right: Randy Pugh-Doris Foster-Jimmy Kellam-Bobby Hill & Jack Dye 60 years ago, the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad was formed by a core group of local citizens that recognized the need for a volunteer ambulance service in the “village� of Virginia Beach. In 1952, the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad started out with 22 charter members, one associate member and one used Cadillac ambulance. In the first year they answered a couple hundred calls. Today, this small seaside volunteer rescue squad has grown to become one of the largest volunteer rescue squads in the United States. With nearly 250 members, two stations, eight advanced life support ambulances [with two more on order], Rescue 8 and Rescue 14 responded to nearly 13,000 nine one one calls for help in 2011. On January 7th 2012 four hundred people gathered at The Cavalier Beach Club to celebrate a remarkable 60 years of saving lives, educating the public and building life long friendships. The FOX and the Cadillac V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
3 2
Here are your humorous captions to this photo of VAVRS Immediate Past President Steve Grayson at the Convention. Fran to Ronnie, "See, when I blow in this ear, you can feel it on the other side." Submitted by M. Ayers, Salem Fran to Ronnie, “AHH, you have a boo-boo? Let me kiss it!” Submitted by L Brown, Chancellor F&R Dolphin to Fran and Ronnie, “This is too embarrassing, I am turning my head because I can’t watch.” Submitted by SpongeBob Rectanglepants Fran to Ronnie, “Wait a minute, your not Tom Selleck. No wonder my lips taste funny now.” Submitted by J.C. Ronnie to Fran, “How come when you open your mouth near my ear I can heart the ocean?” Submitted by Chevrolet Wirt And the winner, ―Fran needs glasses and Ronnie needs a cold shower after this event!‖ Submitted by R. Ranger
In each of the 2012 issues VIRGINIA LIFELINE we have been having a photo caption contest. This is our last submission and we are soliciting your humorous captions to this photo. You are asked to forward your captions to this photo of Matt Tatum, VAVRS District 6 EVOC Instructor Trainer. All entries will be (after censoring) printed. Send your captions by email to gdalton@vavrs.com
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
3 3
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
V I R G I N I A
2 0 1 2
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
3 4
District One News Call of the Quarter Stuarts Draft Rescue Squad One Saturday night, we got a call for a common syncopal episode. Once before, I went to a church for a syncopal episode for a pastor who had passed out during a wedding. To my surprise, upon arrival we had been invited to another wedding. This time it was not the pastor however it was the groom. As we approached the incident, the groom was lying flat on his back with his neck stabilized by a member of the wedding party. He seemed to be okay but we of course had to check it out to see what happened. The information given to us revealed that right before the vows, the groom had passed out and struck his head on the floor. He had a moderate laceration to the back of his head but was controlled. The groom was awake and was talking to us and said he had just blacked out and doesn't remember what exactly happened. As the call progress, we were informed that the wedding guest holding his neck was an emergency room doctor. He had given us a quick summary of events that had happened that led up to the syncopal episode. Routine trauma care, backboard stabilization, and C-spine precautions were carried out for the patient. Even know the wedding ceremony's schedule had taking a detour, pictures did not cease to be taken. Once the groom was back-boarded, we placed him on the stretcher and prepared for transport. However, before we could transport, the doctor on scene advised us that the couple would finish their vows. After hearing that request, the crew and I paused for a second. I wasn't exactly sure what was about to take place, but I knew it was going to be memorable. Once we had the groom on the stretcher, we lifted it about halfway and allowed the ceremony to continue. The bride then came over and stood next to the groom. The pastor then continued with the ceremony while the crew and I and the rest of the guests watched. About 5 minutes later while the groom was still on the stretcher, the bride starts to get queasy. Before we knew it, the bride was as white as her dress and required a chair so she could sit down. This call had turned into a two patient call now. The bride was advised to relax and take deep breaths. The guests were concerned, but they couldn't refrain from snapping photos of this very unusual event. The bride was then given some water and placed her on low flow oxygen. Never in my life had I taken care of a bride or groom at a wedding but this particular instance was a 2 for 1 deal. No matter the bride's lightheadedness, they had finished their vows and kissed one another and it was official. The bride soon recovered and did not need further medical attention; however, on the other hand, the groom was still in need of an examination. The newlyweds were transported together in the ambulance to the hospital. One guest requested that they tie the traditional cans and "Just Married" sign on the rear of the ambulance, but unfortunately that offer was declined. Let it be known that Stuarts Draft Rescue Squad crashed this lovely couple's wedding. When called for a near fainting or syncopal episode at a church, expect the unexpected. By: Logan Parker Crew: Logan Parker; Sherri Strader; CT Cash; Charlie Taylor; Harry East and Travis Roberson
V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
3 5
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
V I R G I N I A
2 0 1 2
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
P a g e
3 6
District Eight News Submitted by R. Blake Byrd, Captain Tappahannock Volunteer Rescue Squad, Essex County, Virginia On Saturday January 14 and Sunday January 15, 2012, Tappahannock Volunteer Rescue Squad hosted a Farm Machinery Extrication Class in Essex County with a very successful turnout. Nineteen individuals from seven agencies in the Commonwealth attended the two day program and successfully completed their training in Farm Machinery Extrication. Day 1 started off with the lecture portion of the class highlighting the dangers of Farm Machinery and the hazards it poses to rescuers. Many scenarios in the classroom were used to illustrate the different types of incidents one may find on a farm and how to safely manage a Farm Rescue scene. After lunch, students took a fieldtrip to Rappahannock Tractor Co. for an overview of the multiple types of machinery that are located in the area and the different forms of configurations unique to Agricultural Equipment. Day 1 proved to be a success as students began to grasp the concept of just how different a farm rescue is from a vehicle rescue due to the weight of the equipment, different steel composition, and overall construction of the machines. Day 2 proved to be very challenging for some, as temperatures in the morning were a cool 22 degrees in the field. Students utilized farm equipment from Ellis Farms of Champlain, Va. to complete their practical scenarios which included: Tractor run over, patient entrapped under a loader, patient trapped in a grain trailer, and multiple others. After lunch, a final scenario of an overturned tractor with a patient trapped underneath was set up. Students used techniques that they had learned from the weekend to successfully remove the patient in a timely manner. Tappahannock Rescue Squad would like to thank Rappahannock Tractor Company, VAVRS, and Ellis Farms as without their participation this program would not have been possible. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
P a g e
3 7
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
District Three News Submitted by Cindy Swann, VAVRS District Three Historian District 3 meeting was held Saturday, February 4th at Providence Forge VRS. We had a pretty good turnout considering the nasty weather that everyone had to travel in again. Congratulations: Providence Forge is approaching their 50th Anniversary. Vernon Wilson our Alternate District VP conducted the meeting for the first time in quite some time and did a great job. Tom and Anne Gwaltney were unable to attend the meeting. Tom was asked to attend and participate at the Newport News Shipyard Apprentice Graduation. Tom had been a teacher there for some time until he retired. District 3’s Training Officer, Peggy Vorous held a class on the up to date DNR (DDNR) regulation. I got there late, but still got a lot of information. For those that may not be aware of the changes you can go on the EMS web site and download all of the information. SUPER SATURDAY TRAINING SESSION The Training will be held Saturday, May 5th at Colonial Heights Technical Center. Peggy Vorous has organized the training session which will cover different categories. You will receive CEU Credits. If you have any questions Peggy can be reached at her EMail address. pmvorous@verizon.net Competition: Not enough members signed up in order for us to have any competition. Wish we could get back to the way it was not to many years ago. March 25th at 2pm, Colonial Heights VRS will be having a Dedication for their New Heavy Duty Ambulance at Dunlap Fire Station, 215 Dunlap Fire Blvd, Colonial Heights. They would like to have you join them. If you have any questions you can contact Kenny Frenier at his E-Mail address. firebat@aol.com or his Cell phone 804-720-4522 In talking to Ann Gwaltney, she is trying to find a Roanoke Collectable Ambulance Bank. If there is anyone that may know where she could obtain one of these banks, please contact her. Anne would very much appreciate it. You can reach her at her E-Mail address anneajg@aol.com As always we had drawings for gifts and for Walmart Gift Certificates. Also had the 50-50 raffle. V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
M A R C H
/
A P R I L
2 0 1 2
Dear Rescue Ranger, What has been happening? I hear you had a near death experience? What was that all about? John from East Hanover Dear John It wasn’t me...I was just telling the story at a recent installation banquet about my good friend Rickey. It was about a week before that he had a near death experience that has changed him forever. He went horseback riding. Everything was going fine until the horse started bouncing out of control. He tried with all his might to hang on, but was thrown off. Just when things could not possibly get worse, his foot got caught in the stirrup. When this happened, he fell head first to the ground. His head continued to bounce harder as the horse did not stop or even slow down. Just as he was giving up hope and losing consciousness, the WalMart manager came and unplugged it. Dear Rescue Ranger, We went on a very strange call last week. A local man was found murdered in his home. The police wanted us to examine the body in order to establish that he was indeed dead. The man was face down in his bath tub. The tub had been filled with milk and corn flakes, and the deceased had a banana in one hand and blueberries in his other hand. They believe there was foul play. What do you think? Greg from Covington Dear Greg, Sounds like the work of a cereal killer.
P a g e
3 8
the hospital. Later, I visited him, he was calm and I asked him why he struggled so. He said, "I remembered the impact, then nothing. I woke up on a concrete slab in front of a huge, flashing sign and it scared me to death." Turns out somebody was standing in front of the 'S' on the 'Shell' station sign across the road. Dear Rescue Ranger, I heard you were afraid of doctors. How can that be true? You, the great Rescue Ranger, that has seen and done everything, cannot be afraid of the very medical professionals that are essential to EMS and Prehospital care. OMD from Eastern Shore Dear OMD Again, it wasn’t me. I was telling the story at a recent installation banquet about my good friend Kelly. During her annual checkup, this handsome woman was asked to disrobe and climb onto the examining table. She said, "Doctor, I just can't undress in front of you." "That's all right," said the physician, "I'll flick off the lights. You get undressed and tell me when you're through." In a few moments, her voice rang out in the darkness, "Doctor, I've undressed. What should I do with my clothes?" "Your clothes?" answered the doctor. "Put them over here, on top of mine!" Dear Rescue Ranger, Heard your wife was quoted saying, Mr. Potato Head is the perfect man? Mo from Manassas Dear Mo, Yes she did. She says he’s tan, he’s cute and if he looks at another woman, you can rearrange his face.
Dear Rescue Ranger, Heard you had recently experienced a very combative patient that was injured in a motor vehicle collision. Story goes that he fought you all the way to the hospital. Did you every find out why he was so aggressive. My guess it was a head injury. Jane from Powhatan Dear Baby Jane, The story is true. I wondered the same thing. The patient was driving to work when a truck ran a stop sign, hit his car broadside, and knocked him cold. Passer-bys pulled him from the wreck and revived him. He began a terrific struggle and we had to sedate him. He still fought with me all the way to ―I plan on living forever. So far, so good.‖ V I R G I N I A
L I F E L I N E
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." - St. John 15:13
Important VAVRS News VAVRS implemented a workgroup to study and provide assistance to struggling EMS agencies. The group, Volunteer Rescue Squad Assistance Work Group (VRSAWG) are in their pilot project phase of operation. Look for more information at the April 14, 2012 Spring BOG Meeting VAVRS Rescue College (June 9-17, 2012) Brochure is available from the VAVRS State Office and Training Center and can be downloaded from the VAVRS website. The VAVRS Convention Housing Bureau information is also posted on www.vavrs.com. Important changes to the VAVRS Bylaws are being considered at the April 14, 2012 Spring BOG Meeting‌.make every effort to attend. The VAVRS representatives to the State EMS Advisory Board are soliciting questions, comments and concerns regarding the implementation of NEMSIS Version 3 beginning January 2013. Contact Dreama Chandler (dchandler@vavrs.com) or Wayne Myers (WMyers@moog.com) Sample resolutions designating EMS agencies within their jurisdictions are available for download at www.vavrs.com Plan now for EMS Week May 20-26, 2012