EMS Week honoring the past forging the future

 

We give little thought to emergency medical services (EMS) until we call 911 when sudden illness or injury strikes to summon help. EMS as we know it grew from a seed planted in 1928 by Julian Wise who established the Roanoke lifesaving and rescue crew after having seen two men drown, into a mighty oak whose branches continue to spread keeping pace with the evolution of science and medicine.

May 19-25 was designated as EMS week, a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements of the emergency medical service community. This year is the 50^th anniversary of the observation, begun by President Gerald Ford. Goochland marked the day with an event at the Oilville headquarters of the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads (VAVRS). This year’s theme is “Honoring our past, forging our future.”

Those in attendance included D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr. Goochland’s Chief of Fire-Rescue and Emergency Management; the Hon. Tom Winfree, District 3 Supervisor and board vice chair; County Administrator Vic Carpenter; Heidi M. Hooker; Executive Director of the Old Dominion EMS Alliance (ODEMSA); Scott Winston, Deputy Director of the Virginia Office of EMS (OEMS); and Gary Critzer, Chair of the Virginia State Board of health; Director of Emergency Management for the City of Waynesboro; and 58^th District Delegate Rodney Willett.

Gary P. Critzer, Scott Winston

Willett presented VAVRS member Ken Morgan with a house resolution recognizing his decades of volunteer rescue squad service and leadership for inspiring and training generations of volunteers.

Several long time VAVRS members, many wearing green jackets of officers were in attendance. These folks represent decades, if not centuries, of dedicated volunteer community service and commitment to saving lives and easing suffering.

Each speaker presented eloquent and thoughtful remarks about the history and future of EMS, morsels follow.

Ferguson said that Goochland has long been a proud partner with VAVRS since volunteer rescue squads formed here in 1966. He reflected on the early days when volunteers responded from home and stations were used to house apparatus and equipment with meeting rooms for training. Goochland has transitioned to a combination model where volunteer and career providers are on duty 24/7 and stations are being modified to create living quarters. Emergency communications has evolved from a local phone number to 911 texting and cell phones. Ambulances are ever more sophisticated and expensive.

Many people in medical professions got their start helping others as teen aged EMS volunteers, like Ferguson, who joined Centerville Company 3 at age 16. The current Goochland Operational Medical Director Dustin Anderson and his deputy Josh Lloyd both began their path to medical school as Goochland volunteer EMTs.

Ferguson said that one of his most pressing concerns is having enough people to get the job done. Recruitment and retention for both career and volunteer providers is difficult for all agencies. EMS has become the gateway to health care, and he sees a need for paramedicine to bridge the divide between emergency medicine and delivery of traditional healthcare.

Winston has EMS experience both as a provider and administrator. He started out as a volunteer firefighter while a student at Hampton Sydney, then became an EMT.  He “ran” with Tuckahoe VRS for many years. Winston noted that there are 552 licensed EMS agencies in Virgnia. Of those 261 are volunteer, 139 combination, and 73 percent of all EMS agencies have a volunteer presence. He contended that many of the responders in the 165 career agencies started out as volunteers. When you take that into account, the impact of volunteers on EMS is incredible.

The benefits of serving in EMS go far beyond saving lives.

“Young people learn lessons as EMS volunteers that stand them in good stead wherever life takes them. The experience of learning how to interact with people who are not like you, in an environment in which you’re not comfortable builds character. They go on to do so many wonderful things outside a clinical environment.”

Governor Youngkin is an extreme supporter of EMS and first responders, Winston reported. For the first time in 40 years, the governor’s EMS awards were recently presented by Governor Youngkin at the Governor’s Mansion.

Hooker publicly acknowledged and celebrated the incredible contributions of Virginia EMS providers as leader of ODEMSA, which represents Virginia’s 11 regional EMS councils.

“Our story began on the battlefields of the Commonwealth where wounded were transported to field hospitals by horse and buggy. The 1928 formation of the nation’s first volunteer rescue squad became the cornerstone of EMS in Virginia and across the nation. Seven years later, in 1935 VAVRS was formed, further solidifying our commitment to volunteerism and community service. At that time EMS was mostly run from unregulated funeral homes whose hearses could transport supine patients.” As EMS evolved alongside technology, medicine and science Virginia formed regional councils to coordinate services. This led to formal training via basic EMT classes and continues to evolve in step with advances in prehospital medical care.

In 2020, said Hooker, EMS used all its skills learned from the past to combat the Covid 19 pandemic. Dedication, innovation, and resilience has always been the backbone of EMS, said Hooker. “Our predecessors laid a foundation built on steadfast commitment to saving lives and serving the community, a legacy we proudly carry forward. Our strength lies not just in our ability to respond to emergencies, but our abilities to forge ahead even when faced with significant challenges. These obstacles are daunting, but not insurmountable. Our resilience shines bright. We adapt, we innovate, we continue to provide the highest standard of care to our communities.”

Hooker expressed concern for the wellbeing of EMS providers, and the need to care for the caregivers.  “It is crucial that we support one another and take care of our emotional and mental health. Support systems are essential. In recent years we’ve had unprecedented numbers of suicides amongst our firefighter/EMS community. I emphasize the availably of resources like the ODEMSA peer support team, 24/7 assistance with psychological first aid, and safe confidential spaces to seek support whenever needed. It is through the efforts of our current providers that we honor the legacy of those who came before us to build a stronger future with pride and determination.”

Angels walk among us. Know them by this sign  

 

Go to https://www.vavrs.com/ to learn more about VAVRS and https://goochlandfire-rescue.org/recruitment/join/ to find out how you can support Goochland Fire-Rescue.