lifeline may jun 2015
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VAVRS NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
MAY / JUNE 2015
VIRGINIA LIFELINE
P a g e 2 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 5 P a g e 3
Nominating: Bruce Stratton
Membership: Kim Craig
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: Bubby Bish
2014-2015 VAVRS Committee Chairs
Rescue College: Rickey Hodge
Rescue College: Wayne Myers
Human Resources: Kim Craig
Life Membership: Ronnie Slough
Rescue Hall of Fame: Page Entsminger
EMS Advisory Board: Valeta Daniels
EMS Advisory Board: Denene Hannon
Strategic Planning: Bubby Bish
New Course Development: Wayne Myers
Recruitment and Retention: Fran Phillips
Recruitment and Retention: Bobby Hill
Volunteer Management: Page Entsminger
EMS Exchange Program: Jane Laverne
President Rickey Hodge
Vice President Kim Craig
Secretary Scott Davis
Treasurer Steve Grayson
Training Officer Cecil Leach
Chaplain Mike Smoot
Chaplain Emeritus Page Entsminger
Historian Dreama Chandler
Editor Gary Dalton
Legal Advisor S. Craig Lane
Parliamentarian J. C. Phillips
Immediate Past President Bubby Bish
Medical Advisor James R. Dudley, MD, MBA
2014-2015 VAVRS Officers
District 1 V. P. Steve Southworth
District 2 V. P. Carolyn White
District 3 V. P. Warren Winner
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. Dwayne Stanley
District 10 V. P. George Langford
Office Manager Frances Brooks
Training Coordinator Kathy Eubank
Administrative Secretary Shirley Bagby
Lobbyist Ed Rhodes
President Victoria Gaudin
Vice President Elizabeth Pittman
Secretary/Treasurer Savannah Hise
Historian Cara Beasley
Chaplain Shane McAdams
2014-2015 VAJVRS Officers
Advisor, Chair Alfred Smith
Advisor Brandon Baugus
Advisor Woody Conner
Advisor Micky Grodski
P a g e 4 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
For a complete list of the current
courses being
offered by the
VAVRS—go to
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
Deadline for future issues as follows:
June 1, 2015 for the July/August 2015 Issue
August 1, 2015 for the September/October 2015 Issue
September 1, 2015 for the 2015 Conference Issue
October 1, 2015 for the November/December 2015 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
Requests for advertising
rates, material
specifications and
deadlines should be
directed to the Editor.
President - Sharon Campbell
Vice President - Harry Householder
Secretary - Dolores Hudson
Treasurer - Patsy Wingfield
Chaplain - Ailease Short
Historian - Linda Berkstresser
Parliamentarian - Maxie Skeen
2014-2015 AVAVRS Officers
Immediate Past President - Fern Puckett
Midwestern VP - Nancy Linkous
Northeastern VP - Debbie Smallwood
Southcentral VP - Clara Craig
Southeastern VP - Roger Lynthlin
Southwestern VP - Valarie Becker
Western VP - Janis Slough
Conference: Vickie Arnold
Conference: Sheila Gordon
Nominating: Ruth Swicegood
Life Membership: Carolyn Brand
Emergency Care: Laura Booze
Resolutions: Maxie Skeen
2014-2015 AVAVRS Committee Chairs
Membership: Patsy Wingfield
Finance: Harry Householder
Roll Call: Donna Porter
Roll Call: Valarie Becker
Fundraising: Stacey Frame
Fundraising: Tracey Frame
M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5 P a g e 5
Oster. “All of the submissions
were outstanding, making the
selection process very
challenging for the judges,”
said Dove. “We look forward to
continuing the contest next
year because the students get
Chancellor Volunteer Fire Truck Escorts
Contest Winner to Elementary School
so excited about it.” Other
CVFR members who worked
with Dove on this project were
Philip Gouldman, Jessica Dziak,
Angie Burris, Jacob Mahoney,
Mike Passera and Brandon
Murray.
Submitted by Sara Hunt PR
Riley Baker-Schiel, a third-
grade student at Chancellor
Elementary, earned a very cool
ride to school in a fire truck on
March 20 for winning first
place in the 2nd Annual Fire
Safety Drawing Contest,
sponsored by Chancellor
Volunteer Fire & Rescue
(CVFR). After learning many
important safety tips about
fire prevention and how to call
911 during a presentation by
CVFR members in January, the
students were invited to create
a drawing that included a
picture of Sparky the Fire Dog
mascot and a fire safety
message based on the
information from the session.
“The students had been deeply
affected by recent news of a
young girl’s death in a house
fire,” said Steven Dove, who
organized the contest and
safety session for CVFR. “They
really listened to our advice
about how to stay calm in case
of fire, as well as the
importance of exiting a burning
building quickly and ‘once out,
stay out!’” The second place
winner was Camie Cofer and the
third place winner was Luc
P a g e 6 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Riley Baker-Schiel poses with her teacher, Mrs. Azzarelli, and
Sparky the Fire Dog after arriving at Chancellor Elementary
School in a Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue vehicle. She won
first place in an annual drawing contest about fire safety to
earn the special escort from CVFR.
P a g e 7 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
P a g e 8 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Golf Ball Drop (they dropped
500 numbered golf balls from
an 80-foot bucket truck to a
target below and closest to the
pin won a cash prize) and Cow
Patty Bingo (Oh the sweet
smell of success!).
“These entrepreneurial Juniors
are working hard to pay their
own way to Rescue College at
Virginia Tech and to the
VAVRS Conference in Virginia
Submitted by Sara Hunt PR
When it comes to finding
unique ways to earn money for
EMS conferences and training
sessions, there’s no limit to the
creative fundraising tactics
dreamed up by members of the
Colonial Beach Junior Volunteer
Rescue Squad. Some of their
innovative money-making ideas
have included a dog wash, a
Colonial Beach Juniors Have Fun Earning to Learn
Beach, where they will learn
about the latest techniques in
EMS work,” said Wesley
Melson, Rescue Chief of
Colonial Beach Volunteer
Rescue Squad. “We’re proud of
their determination and their
initiative to be proactive about
making
their EMS
dreams
come true.”
Photo and article submitted by Bobby Hill
For 25 years, Carol Morrow,
Technical Assistance Coordinator
at the Virginia Office of
Emergency Medical Services has
provided countless hours of public
service in support of Emergency
Medical Services Providers across
the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Several years ago when the
Virginia Fire-EMS Recruitment
Retention Network took form,
Carol stepped up to the plate and
became the unofficial VA-OEMS
liaison to a group of unofficial
career and volunteer recruiters.
Her skills and knowledge of the
inner workings of Virginia EMS
proved to be invaluable in the
growth of the VA Fire EMS R-R
Network.
Carol would attend the Network
meetings across the
Commonwealth, offering advice
and support.
At a recent retirement luncheon,
Dave Tesh, VA Fire-EMS
Recruitment Retention Network
Board Member, presented a
plaque to Carol thanking Carol for
her support of the VA Fire-EMS
R-R Network.
“Carol we wish you all the
best in your retirement.
You will be missed. Thank
you for being there for us.”
Virginia Office of EMS Technical Assistance Coordinator Carol Morrow Retires After 25 Years
P a g e 9 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
Dave Test (right) presents a plaque to Carol Morrow (left)
The 60 Second Parliamentarian Tip
Submitted by J.C. Phillips, VAVRS Parliamentarian
Can a Life Member of an
organization loose their Life
Membership? YES, a Life
Member can loose their Life
Membership for just
cause. Just cause can be, but
not limited to, stealing from
the organization, falsifying
records, breaking a civil law, be
vote to give Life Membership
to a member that is
permanently disabled in an
accident while on call. The
procedure to obtain Life
Membership should be stated
in the bylaws.
Just remember, as long as you
behave yourself, you can keep
your Life Membership. As the
Bible says, "The LORD gave,
and the LORD hath taken
away." The squad giveth Life
Membership and the squad can
taketh it away.
convicted of a crime, fighting,
continually causing disruption
within the organization,
embezzlement, actions not
becoming of a squad member,
etc. I personally know of three
people that lost their Life
Membership for just cause.
There are different
procedures that squads use for
a member to obtain Life
Membership. Some members
achieve Life Membership
automatically by pulling 10, 15,
20 or 25 years as an Active
Riding Member. Some squads
vote on Life Membership when
a certain number of years is
accumulated as an Active Riding
Member. Some organizations
P a g e 1 0 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
P a g e 1 1 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
P a g e 1 2 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
the auxiliary was $1000. On
March 5th we had another
snowstorm. We again provided
breakfast, lunch, and dinner
for personnel from fire, police,
EOC and our crew. At our
March 18th business meeting
the Masons presented us with a
plaque framed award. The
award is the "Award of
Excellence". On March 23rd
Submitted by Cece McCormick and Jill Stachowski
Hello everyone from
Waynesboro FAC Auxiliary.
We had our first snow fall of
the new year on February 21.
My what a snowstorm that was.
We received about 12 inches.
The auxiliary prepared
breakfast, lunch and dinner and
we served our crew, fire
department, police department,
and for EOC.
The auxiliary hosted a
fundraiser on Friday and
Saturday, March 6th and
7th with the crew sponsoring
an indoor yard sale in honor of
Jesse Stepp, whom is a nurse
at Augusta Health's Emergency
Department. The auxiliary
served food all day long on both
days. All of the proceeds that
were made were donated
towards her medical expenses.
The total of the donation from
Waynesboro FAC Auxiliary
we all attended the district
meeting in Fairfield which was
a beautiful day and we enjoyed
seeing all the other auxiliaries
and we thank Fairfield again
for the wonderful lunch. The
soups were amazing. Our new
oven has arrived!! (see photo).
Hope to see everyone at the
Camporee.
P a g e 1 3 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
I look forward to seeing many
of you in Fredericksburg.
Remember, if you are an
officer you need to come
prepared to give a verbal
report and TWO COPIES of
your written report (one for me
and one for Dolores as our
Secretary). Hopefully we can
save a tree by not making so
many copies of things. If you
have anything that you would
Submitted by Sharon Campbell, AVAVRS President
As I sit here at work looking
out the window I have hopes
that "Ole Man Winter" has
gone for this year and spring is
on the horizon. Things are
starting to turn green, the
trees are blooming and I hope
to get my flip flops out soon.
It is almost time for the
Spring Officers Workshop and
AVAVRS President
like the officers to address,
please let me know so that it
can be added to the agenda.
Also let me know (if you
haven't already) if you plan to
attend the SOW meeting so
that we will have adequate
seating, the more the merrier.
To each of you I wish you
blessed Easter holiday with
family and friends.
October 2009 and worked in
the Chesterfield Emergency
Communications Center for
three years prior. She is a
member of the Central Virginia
Emergency Management
Alliance as well as the Virginia
Fire Chiefs Association
Administrative Professionals
Section. Sherri has a
Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal
Justice Administration and has
earned the Professional
Emergency Manager (PEM)
designation.
Chesterfield County Community
Emergency Response Team
(CERT)
CERT was developed by the Los
Angeles, California Fire
Department in 1985. After
major disasters, well-intended
people will self-deploy to help
others. However, many are not
properly trained and often end
up as victims themselves.
Chesterfields’ program began in
2004. Since its inception, more
than 950 people have
completed the program. We
will reach 1,000 this year.
Grant funding has allowed us to
conduct the classes free of
charge to the participant.
However, funding has begun to
wane forcing CERT programs
across the country to look for
other ways of sustainment.
The 24-hour training teaches
people the proper skills and
techniques for assisting others
Submitted by Fran Phillips, Chair
When I find a program that
may be utilized by any squad or
fire department that will
promote community safety and
has excellent public relation
potential I will let you know
about that program through
this media. My husband, J. C.
Phillips, is on the Chesterfield
County Emergency Planning
Committee [CEPC] representing
the four county rescue squads.
The county representative on
this committee is Sherri
Laffoon. She is the author of
this article. Thank you Sherri
for an interesting and
informative article.
Sherri is the Emergency
Management Planner with
Chesterfield Fire & EMS-
Emergency Management
Division, responsible for the
public education and outreach
program. She is also the
Coordinator for Chesterfield’s
Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT)
Program. Sherri has been with
Emergency Management since
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
after a disaster strikes, as well
as in non-disaster times. The
training students receive
includes Disaster
Preparedness, CERT
Organization and the Incident
Command System, Medical
Operations (or First Aid), Fire
Safety and Suppression,
Disaster Psychology, Light Duty
Search and Rescue, and in
Chesterfield County,
Emergency Communications (or
911). There is a lot of hands-on
training to include bandaging,
splinting, triage, the proper
way to use a fire extinguisher,
and patient transport. The
class ends with an exercise to
test the students on what they
have learned throughout the
course. Students who complete
all eight classes will receive a
backpack stocked with a few
emergency supplies, a
certificate of completion and
an identification card.
The class, which is free, is open
to anyone 18 and older. There
are no physical limitations; you
will not be asked to do anything
you are physically unable to do.
Classes are held two nights or
two mornings a week for four
weeks. [You may miss up to two
classes but must complete
those classes missed within one
year in order to receive the
backpack and be an “official”
CERT member.] After
graduation, there are
opportunities to continue the
P a g e 1 4 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
departments with exercises by
role-playing as patients.
During times of disasters, our
CERT members are notified via
phone or email of the county’s
need for volunteers. CERTs
also provide us with
information such as damage
reports in their neighborhood.
These reports give us a
snapshot of what our public
safety officials are dealing
with before they arrive to the
scene. If a CERT member is
called out for anything, an
After Action Report is
submitted.
CERT members are covered
under The Virginia Code §44-
146.23 Immunity from Liability,
which states individuals are not
liable for death or injury to
persons or property
if engaged in
emergency services
activities.
“Neighbors Helping
Neighbors”
Consider asking your
County/City to help
training through refresher
courses, as well as training that
is not included in the initial
training. Examples include a
presentation once a year to
learn about the MedFlight
program where they are able to
speak with the flight
paramedics and see the
helicopters up close. CPR/AED
classes are offered throughout
the year so members can
become certified. Regional
exercises which allow CERT
members from the region to
come together and train. If a
CERT member wishes to
become a Level II CERT
member, he or she will be
required to take additional
training. Level II CERT
members submit to a
background check and become
volunteers with Chesterfield
Fire and EMS.
There are also opportunities to
volunteer. We attend multiple
events throughout the year to
promote the program as well as
preparedness. Members also
assist our public safety
sponsor a program
as described
above. The Police,
Rescue, and Fire
departments may
consider a joint
program. This is an
excellent way to
let your community
know about your
emergency
services [police,
rescue squads or
fire departments], your
members and your training
requirements. Imagine having
personnel in your locality who
have some training when a
disaster or other major event
strikes. They are able to give
immediate First Aid, telling
dispatch what the problem is
and to triage the incident. How
many times have persons
stopped to help in an
emergency situation but have
no training to help that person
or persons? How many times
does a neighbor have an
emergency and ask their
neighbor for help? This
program brings neighbors
together and puts your squad
or fire department in an
excellent position to recruit
membership.
P a g e 1 5 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
P a g e 1 6 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Offering on-line program and
updates
Recertification or continue
education changes
Emphasizing a hand position
change to 8-4 preferred
Add Virginia specific examples
of emergency vehicle crashes
Additional obstacles for the
cone judgment course
Increasing the test bank to
100 questions
As a result of the meeting the
VAVRS Course Coordinators put
together over 30 additional
PowerPoint slides covering -
Distracted Driving
Securing occupants/equipment
do’s and don’ts
3 NIOSH videos
Patient restraints
Backing/spotter positioning
Top Tend Safe Driving
Behaviors
Submitted by Gary Dalton, VAVRS
EVOC Co-Coordinator
On February 11, 2015
representatives from the Virginia
Association of Volunteer Rescue
Squads, Inc., Virginia Department
of Fire Programs and Virginia
Office of Emergency Medical
Services met to discuss updates
and additions to the 2010 EVOC
Program.
Curriculum update considerations
included:
Addressing the need for
special modules for Class 4 and
Class 5
Legal updates including new
laws, etc.
Spotter training
Adding information on
distracted driving and fatigue
Adding information regarding
restraint of all devices,
equipment and occupants
Adding the ACES acronym
These slides and other
information were covered at the
VAVRS Instructor Update on
March 7, 2015 at the VAVRS
State Office and Training Center.
Over 75 instructors attended,
provided input and discussed the
plans for completion of the
program update process.
This memo was sent to all
instructors on March 12:
To: VAVRS EVOC Instructors
At the 2015 VAVRS Instructor
Update, held Saturday, March 7,
2015 in Oilville, it was announced
that every VAVRS EVOC
Instructor must complete a
Traffic Incident Management
(TIM) Course and provide
documentation to the VAVRS
Office by March 31, 2016. If you
have already completed the course
please forward that
documentation to the VAVRS
Office by email or fax and it will
be placed into our records.
We appreciate the attendance of
76 of our current 182 EVOC
instructors the VAVRS Instructor
Update held in Oilville on March 7,
2015. Those instructors not able
to attend will be given the
opportunity to attend updates
held within the 9 VAVRS Districts
between now and December 31,
2015. Please make every effort to
attend one of these District
updates as we are putting out a lot
of updated and new information
this year that you will need to be
familiar with to teach to the
current EVOC standards.
We will post district updates as
soon as we are provided with dates
and times on the VAVRS Website
at www.vavrs.com/evoc.
P a g e 1 7 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
1. Eliminate distractions
2. Don’t drive drowsy
3. Maintain a safe following distance
4. Don’t speed, know your limits
5. Communicate your intentions to other
drivers and pedestrians
6. Continually survey your surroundings
7. Slow down in rain, snow, ice and fog
8. Be cautious of every intersection-
regardless of right-of-way
9. Never roll-through a stop sign
10. When backing up, use a spotter
Down Time?
Hobby Time
Paramedic Joe Grau has a
particularly interesting way of
spending his free time.
Joe has been employed by
Southside Virginia Emergency
Crew for eight years, of which
he has been a paramedic for
seven of them. In addition to
working here, he also teaches
ALS courses with J. Sargeant
Reynolds Community College. In
his free time, Joe plays a game
called Warhammer, which he
has been doing for twenty-
eight years. The basic concept
of the game is pretty simple-
build an army and try to beat
your opponent with it. This
game is reminiscent of playing
with little green army men as a
child, however when I made
that remark to Joe, he said
that it was quite literally
‘child’s play’ when compared to
Warhammer. While
researching for this article, I
spent a couple of shifts with
Submitted by Harold Good, Southside Virginia Emergency Crew
As we all know, EMS is not one
of those jobs where you spend
eight, ten, or twelve hours
straight actively performing
your duties. Down time is a
significant part of this
profession, whether you have a
few minutes or a few hours to
spare. Granted, during normal
work hours we typically stay
pretty busy with house duties,
training, and other non-service
related duties, but at some
point or another most of us
have some time to kill at work.
There are many different ways
that people spend that down
time; some folks work on
homework for college courses,
while others spend that time
reading or otherwise relaxing.
Personally, I spend my free
time either playing pool in our
day room or reading.
Joe working on his miniatures
and learning how to play.
So the first thing that happens
when one decides they want to
play Warhammer is that they
have to choose an army. There
are all sorts of different
armies and they all have
interesting names such as
Imperial Knights, Space
Marines, Tomb Kings, and High
Elves. Each one has different
strengths and weaknesses,
giving players options for their
style of play. Once you have
picked and purchased an army,
then everything has to be built.
The models come disassembled,
so first comes the task of
cutting all of the tiny pieces
out of the plastic sheets they
come in. Each individual piece
has to be trimmed and test-
fitted with the rest of the
pieces before they can be glued
together. There are few single
-piece figures anymore; most
models now come in anywhere
from three to approximately
fifty pieces, with the average
being between six and ten.
This step takes anywhere from
a few hours to a few days,
depending on the size of the
unit you are assembling. Once
everything is assembled and
placed on a standing base, then
it’s time for paint.
Painting one of these figures is
an extremely detailed process.
P a g e 1 8 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
P a g e 1 9 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
hobby shops took as much as
eighteen months to complete.
At this point, hours upon hours
have been spent creating these
impressive armies, and none of
that time has been spent
playing the game!
In addition to the armies, Joe
also builds and paints terrain
for the armies to play on. He
starts with foam panels and
modeling clay and transforms
them into a realistic landscape
with terrain elements and
fortifications. The terrain
panels are built from two foot
square cardboard panels with
foam glued on top, which forms
the basis of his sculpting. Two
of his most impressive
landscapes to date include a
World War I-era trenched
battlefield and an expansive
artic glacier. In addition to
making the originals, Joe has
created molds of many of his
Joe, having done this for
years, can finish a layer
of paint on a unit of
miniatures in a couple of
hours. My attempts at
painting were much less
efficient, however, which
gave me a true
appreciation for the skill and
patience required for this
hobby. Each figure starts off
with a coat of primer, followed
by a base coat for the primary
colors used on the model.
Once all the base coats have
been applied, the model begins
taking shape. From here, Joe
spends hours painting
highlights and shading so that
the final product looks as
realistic as possible. The final
painting step is where all the
intricate details are applied,
such as painting eyes, gems,
and any symbols or crests of
the unit he is working on. Once
all the painting has been
completed, each figure is
sealed with a finishing spray
and is set to dry. This entire
process, for an entire army,
can take months to complete.
Many of the well-painted
armies seen when visiting local
(Continued from page 18) custom designs so he can
reproduce them without
the work involved of the
initial design.
One of the most
difficult aspects of
doing this while on shift
is that, at any point, Joe
can be dispatched to a
medical incident,
regardless of how involved he is
in a particular project. Because
of this, Joe has become
exceedingly adept at being able
to save his progress at a
moment’s notice without ruining
his hard work.
To say that this is an
extremely precise set of skills
is an understatement.
However, the most important
skills in this set are ones that
we try to cultivate in EMS.
Attention to detail is
paramount in our profession, as
is planning, patience, and
creativity. Skill in a hobby
requiring similar skills does not
necessarily make anyone a good
EMS provider, but it is
definitely interesting to see
what extracurricular activities
are enjoyed by those in our
profession.
District Five
Layne, Barry VandeVeer and
Roger Vassar; and Grant
Writing, Frank Smith. Thanks
to Keith Smith, District 5
Training Officer for
coordinating all of the
instructors for these classes.
Our district meeting, hosted by
Danville Life Saving Crew, was
well attended. We had nine
individuals compete in EVOC;
two teams competed in ALS
(Appomattox, 1st place, Danville
2nd place); three teams in BLS
(Danville, 1st place, Appomattox
-Team B, 2nd place, Appomattox
-Team 1, 3rd place). For the
ALS Call of the Quarter,
Danville Life Saving Crew won
this award. The BLS Call of the
Quarter was awarded to
Campbell County Rescue Squad.
Rescue Call of the Quarter was
Submitted by Joan Smoot, District 5 Historian
On March 14th & 15th, District
5 held a Training Weekend
under the leadership and
guidance of District VP, Frank
Smith at the Danville Life
Saving Crew Training Center.
Classes in Grant Writing, EVOC,
EVOC Trailer and ATV were
conducted and well attended.
As this was the first training
weekend for District 5 in a
number of years, it was
definitely challenging but well
worth it. Frank combined it
with the bi-monthly district
meeting so we not only had
classes going on, but actual
competitions during the day as
well. Thanks to the many
instructions that gave their
time and talents for making a
successful weekend and to the
students who participated in
the classes. Instructors for
the EVOC classes were Bob
Marion and Mike Smoot; EVOC
Trailer and ATV classes, Gerald
won by Gladys Fire Department.
As you can see, we were busy at
our district meeting. We hope
to have even more teams
competing at the next meeting
to be held on May 2, 2015 at
Appomattox.
On a more somber note, we
have had to say goodbye to
several of our members over
the last few months. Joseph
Carderelli of Campbell County,
Cecil Jones of Concord, Barbara
Moore of Altavista EMS, Ed
Cook of Gretna Rescue and
Edward Epperson of Kenbridge
Emergency Crew. We will miss
each and every one of these
members and extend our
deepest and heartfelt sympathy
to their families.
Hope to see each of you soon!
P a g e 2 0 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
EVOC Winners: 1st-Jason Morgan; 2nd- Frank Smith; 3rd- Doug
Wright; 4th- Sam Campbell; 5th- Bob Marion; 6th- Julia Ferguson;
7th- Woody Connor; 8th- Nancy Adams; 9th Penny Saponakos
P a g e 2 1 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
Bob Marion teaching EVOC class
Gerald Layne teaching Trailer EVOC class
Barry VandeVeer teaching ATV class
Students taking a break and enjoying lunch at Training weekend. 2nd Place ALS – Danville & 1st Place BLS
1st Place ALS – Appomattox
Appomattox ALS Team in Competition
Danville ALS Team in Competition
P a g e 2 2 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
ALS Call of Quarter – Danville LSC
Rescue Call of Quarter – Gladys Fire Dept. Burleigh Vassar Award – Danville LSC
BLS Call of Quarter – Campbell Co
2nd Place BLS – Appomattox B Team
P a g e 2 3 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
P a g e 2 4 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
On March 28th, 2015 the
Greensville Volunteer Rescue
Squad hosted the District 2
meeting.
Bubby Bish awarding trophies to
the participants in the Junior
ATV-Cart competition.
Top left: Takera-Greensville
Junior-4th Place
Top Right Maygan-Brunswick
Junior-3rd Place
Lower right: Jared-Brunswick
Junior 2nd Place
Lower left: Tyler-Brunswick
Junior 1st Place
Erica and Maddie: Erica is from
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue
Squad in VA Beach with her
daughter Maddie.
Jimmy Lee Pair, President
Greensville Volunteer Rescue
Squad-acting recording secretary
& Chris Florio Plaza Volunteer
Rescue Squad VA Beach-Vice
President District 2.
Gerald Layne, Course
Coordinator for Special Events
and Off Roads Operations-
VAVRS speaking to the group
about SEOR-OPS training
opportunities.
Photo on Left:
Ambulance
Competition: 1st
Place Greensville
and 2nd Place
Brunswick.
Ambulance judging during the
District 2 Meeting
Photos by Bobby Hill
VA Beach VRS Squad
Historian
District 2 Meeting March 28, 2015 Greensville Volunteer Rescue Squad
P a g e 2 5 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
P a g e 2 6 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
National EMS Memorial Service Announces Names of 2015 Honorees
symbolizing service to their
country; and a white rose,
symbolizing their undying love.
The 2015 National EMS
Memorial Service will be held
Saturday, June 27 at the Pikes
Peak Center in Colorado
Springs, CO. The Service is
part of the Weekend of
Tribute. The Weekend begins
with the National EMS
Memorial Bike Ride-Colorado
route, continues with a
ceremony at the Air Medical
Memorial and concludes with
the Service in Colorado
Springs.
In addition to the
presentations made during the
service, each honoree’s name is
engraved on a bronze oak leaf
which is added to the “Tree of
Life,” the National EMS
Memorial.
See list on adjacent page for
Submitted by Sara Hunt PR
Colorado Springs, CO – The
National EMS Memorial
Service Board of Directors has
announced the names of the 15
individuals from 8 states to be
honored at the 2015 National
EMS Memorial Service.
The National EMS Memorial
Service has, since 1993, been
honoring America’s Emergency
Medical Services providers
who have given their lives in
the line of duty. The 15
individuals being honored this
year join 644 others previously
honored by the National EMS
Memorial Service.
Each year at the service,
members of the honoree’s
families or EMS Agency are
presented with a medallion,
symbolizing eternal memory; a
U. S. Flag which has flown over
the Nation’s Capital,
names of 2015 honorees.
Additional information and
updates can be found at
www.nemsms.org and
www.weekendoftribute.org.
NOTE: The NEMSMS board
also recently announced that
the annual commemorative
service will transition its
location to Virginia effective
with the 2016 service. More
information about the
transition will be forthcoming
following the 2015 service in
Colorado Springs.
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
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.
If you decide to adopt a family,
2015 National EMS Memorial Service Adopt-A-Family
remembered and treasured.
For additional information or to
sponsor a family or families
please contact Kevin Dillard,
Past President via email
Make checks out to National
EMS Memorial Service and
mail to Kevin Dillard at
1170 International Pkwy,
Fredericksburg, VA 22406.
P a g e 2 7 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
National EMS Memorial Service 2015 Honorees Raymond ‘Ray’ Bernard Allison of Sterling County EMS, Sterling City, TX,
who died in the line of duty on February 11, 2014 of injuries sustained in an ambulance
involved motor vehicle collision.
James ‘Jamie’ Butler of TriState CareFlight, Santa Fe, NM, who died in the line of duty on July 17, 2014, of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
David Cavigneaux of TriState CareFlight, Santa Fe, NM, who died in the line of duty on July 17, 2014 of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Monica Chavez of Elite Medical Transport, El Paso, TX, who died in the line of duty on August 27, 2014 of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Erasmus ‘Johan’ van der Colff IV of Air Evac Lifeteam, Duncan OK, who died in the line of duty on October 22, 2014 of injuries sustained in an October 4, 2014
medical aviation accident.
Benjamin J. ‘Jay’ Finney of Sedgwick County EMS, Wichita, KS, who died in the line of duty on October 18, 2004 of a duty related cardiac event.
Gerald ‘Garry’ Hammer of Parkview-LaGrange County EMS, LaGrange, IN, who died in the line of duty on January 31, 2014 of a duty related cardiac event.
Micheal Howard of Jewett EMS, Inc., Jewett, TX, who died in the line of duty on September 13, 2014 of cardiac arrest while on a call.
Juan Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Martinez of Elite Medical Transport, El Paso, TX, who died in the line of duty on August 27, 2014 of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
Dennis Houston Rushing of ASAP Ambulance, Laurel, MS, who died in the line of duty on June 24, 2014 of injuries sustained in an ambulance
involved motor vehicle collision.
Rebecca Serkey of TriState CareFlight, Santa Fe, NM, who died in the line of duty on July 17, 2014 of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
William ‘Alan’ Smith of ASAP Ambulance, Laurel, MS, who died in the line of duty on June 24, 2014 of injuries sustained in an ambulance
involved motor vehicle collision.
Leslie Stewart of Air Evac Lifeteam, Duncan, OK, who died in the line of duty on October 8, 2014 of injuries sustained in an October 4, 2014
medical aviation accident.
Taurean Summers of Elite Medical Transport, El Paso, TX, who died in the line of duty on August 27, 2014 of injuries sustained in a medical aviation accident.
William “Will” Wiita of Coldspring-Excelsior Fire Dept., Kalkaska, MI, who died in the line of duty on September 8, 2014 of a duty related cardiac event.
P a g e 2 8 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
P a g e 2 9 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
Submitted by Kenny Frenier
Colonial Heights Fire & EMS
check for injuries after a large
pine tree was snapped during
high winds on February 14.
Wind gust were clocked at 67
MPH and a burst of snow fell
over the area. The tree fell
onto an apartment building
crushing the roof to the floor
of the second floor. Lucky for
the occupants of 2 of the 3
damaged apartments, no one
was injured. One tenant found
shelter at another apartment while
another was assisted by the Red
Cross. Fire and EMS personnel
assisted with shutting off utilities
to secure the structure.
Group Pictures from the District 2 Meeting held March 12, 2015 hosted by Greensville VRS
Colonial Heights Fire & EMS
P a g e 3 0 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
1379, out of Stafford County,
would have changed the way we
pay the registration fees. You
would pay the two-year cost
when you purchased a vehicle,
changed storage locations, or
sold it. This would have
completely decimated $4 for
Life funding. The patron told us
that he wanted people not to
have to visit their local DMV
but just a few times, not every
year. He would not budge on it
and it was left in committee
without any questions. VAVRS
spoke against this one both in a
private meeting and in
subcommittee.
The long expected EMS
terminology bill went through
both houses with approximately
two dozen amendments that
came from a state agency, trial
lawyers, and a couple we found.
The bill was the longest of the
session, 126 pages, and thanks
go to Senator Richard Stuart
and Delegate Chris Stolle for
being patrons and putting up
the changes that came about.
We also need to thank Ms.
Sarah Stanton and all of the
lawyers in Legislative Services
for their excellent work over
the past two years and
Even though I begin this article
in the first week of March, the
General Assembly has
completed their work a day
early (a first in a long time).
Then it is supposed to rain the
next two days, change to snow,
and get cold again. I am stuck
indoors battling the G/A Crud
that waited until the session
was over.
This session started with a
bang as most of the legislators
hit the ground running and we
finally got a chance to catch up
on what was going on at
crossover. Legislation that
would have had an enormous
negative effect on the EMS
system and $4 for Life funding
were left in committee. The
first was SB 754, which would
have increased vehicle
registration fees by $1.25
cents each year for ten years
until it reached $12.50
additional fee. All of these
funds were to go to the Virginia
State Police or a "Public Safety
Fund". The bill was left in
House Appropriations as
amendments were added to the
budget to take care of some of
the issues this was trying to
correct. The second bill, HB
especially during the
session. The bills
passed and the
Governor has signed
them into law.
The EMS Compact
bill met a less than
glorious fate in
committee. HB 1660
carried by Delegate
Tom Rust of Loudoun County
was tabled in a house
subcommittee. The senate
version, SB 877 passed the
Senate without any problem,
but it met the same fate in the
same house subcommittee and
was tabled.
I wish to thank those from the
EMS community who came to
the Senate hearing in nasty
weather to speak in favor of
the bill and those who showed
up for the house hearings also.
Still have some work to do on
one delegate who for some
reason does not like compacts.
A major bill introduced relates
to revamping the Line of Duty
Act, HB 2204. The original
version of the bill in defining
what LOD is, basically left out
all volunteers, both fire and
EMS. This has been corrected
in the second version. This bill
moves LOD from the
Department of Accounts to the
Virginia Retirement System for
determination of eligibility and
to Human Resources
Management for benefits. It
also provides for a workgroup,
which will meet a number of
times between now and
The “Real” Attic
December to work on issues.
This is a small workgroup that
includes all of public safety and
local government. An appeals
board is proposed in the bill
also. Finally, the bill with any
and all agreed upon changes will
be voted on again in January
2016 for final approval. A
letter signed by almost all of
the public safety organizations,
including VAVRS, supporting
this bill, has been delivered to
the Governor. The bill has been
signed by the Governor.
To briefly run through a few
bills that may have an effect on
EMS are as follows:
Three bills on the
administration of Naloxone
(Narcan) by the public, law
enforcement and fire. It will be
interesting on how this works
out. All three want to do the
same thing, but they are
worded a little bit differently.
A bill to expand response for
missing persons that add a VSP
1st SGT as the coordinator, but
would include training provided
by VAVRS and VDFP.
P a g e 3 1 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
Two bills involving epinephrine
pens - one would allow the pens
and oxygen tanks to be kept in
pharmacies for use in medical
emergencies and a second that
will allow the pens in private
schools. Another bill that would
allow them at day camps, etc.,
was tabled. The medical society
is discussing forming a
workgroup, which will include
VAVRS.
A number of legislators are
retiring at the end of the year,
making for control of the
Senate an issue with the
November elections. The
biggest loss for EMS is the
retirement of Delegate Tom
Rust of Loudoun and Fairfax
Counties. Tom has been a major
supporter of EMS over the
years and has carried some
difficult bills for us, including
this years EMS Compact bill
and previously the twenty-five
cent increase in $4 for Life
that goes to training. Delegate
Rust also has chaired the Fire /
EMS Legislative Caucus since
its inception. His aide, Carol
Sinclair, has done a wonderful
job in getting the meeting
notices out, arranging for
meeting space and handling the
agenda. We appreciate their
work and will greatly miss both
of them.
During the session, we tracked
approximately 86 pieces of
legislation out of the 2,776
pieces that were introduced or
3% of those bills. VAVRS had a
hand in a number of these bills,
but were responsible for the
introduction of the terminology
and compact bills. During the
session, members of the
VAVRS Legislative Committee
joined your legislative team and
visited a number of delegates
and senators. A new face that
joined us was the new VAJVRS
President, Victoria Gaudin, in
her first visit to the General
Assembly. All were introduced
from the gallery at the
beginning of the session on the
day they visited.
The VAVRS Legislative
Committee should be meeting
this spring to discuss the
VAVRS Legislative Agenda for
the 2016 session, which is the
"long" session. Suggestions
from you the members are
always welcome.
In conclusion, we will probably
be on the road this summer
visiting with you at district
meetings. We look forward to
seeing you then or the
conference in September. Have
a good spring.
District One Call of the Quarter Winner
Waynesboro First Aid Crew
however, was not successful
initially. However, on the
second attempt intubation was
successful using standard
laryngoscope. The tube was
visualized passing through the
vocal cords, bilateral chest rise
and fall was verified, bilateral
lung sounds were present, and
there were no epigastric
sounds.
The tube was monitored with
waveform capnography. The
patient maintained a box
waveform with normal ETC02
values.
Venous access was achieved via
Intraosseous in the right tibia.
In addition a 20 gauge IV was
accessed in the right
antecubital.
ACLS protocol was followed for
V-fib to include vasopressin at
0831 hours, epinephrine
1:10,000 at 0834 hours, 0838
hours, and 0842 hours. Sodium
bicarbonate was delivered at
0843 hours, followed by
amiodorone at 0845 hours.
Additional epinephrine was
given at 0853 hours, 0902
hours, and 0910 hours. At
0845 hours a second shock was
advised, after which the
monitor continued to show V-
fib. A third shock was
delivered at 0847 hours, with V
-fib remaining to be shown.
Submitted by Amy Markham, District One Secretary
November 26, 2014 at 0815
hours the crew was dispatched
for an unresponsive male with
difficulty breathing. Just
prior to responding, the
Waynesboro EOC notified the
patient was in cardiac arrest.
Arriving on scene at 0820
hours the 50-year-old patient
was found outside lying supine
in the snow along the roadway.
He had no pulse, no blood
pressure, and no respirations.
CCR was immediately started,
and the patient was placed on
the stretcher and into the
ambulance. Once inside the
unit the patient was stripped
of wet clothing and the Lucas 2
device was applied. CCR
protocol continued with 15
liters of oxygen via non-
rebreather mask, nasal cannula,
and oral airway. Defibrillation
pads were placed to patient's
anterior chest. The initial
rhythm was V-fib, and the
patient was defibrillated with
200 joules at 0826 hours. The
patient was converted to a
perfusing rhythm but the pulse
was quickly lost.
Intubation was attempted,
At 0849 hours the patient
showed pulseless electrical
activity. He remained in PEA
for several minutes then
converted to a perfusing
rhythm with a rate in the 80's
at 0915 hours. An EKG was
obtained showing lateral wall
ST elevation MI.
At 0901 hours transport was
begun to Augusta Health
Emergency Department.
Transport was delayed due to
weather conditions, with the
ambulance arriving there at
0919 hours.
Report was given to emergency
department staff and patient
care transferred to them.
Follow-up with Augusta Health
showed that after treatment
the patient made a full
recovery from his cardiac
arrest.
P a g e 3 2 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
P a g e 3 3 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
be up in the DC area. With all
the Memorials in the area this
may be a great location to have
the Rescue Squad Memorial.
This was the first time we have
had any Competition for quite
some time. It was great even
it was only EVOC. Anita Baxley
took 3rd Place, Bubby Bish took
2nd Place and Walter Bishop
Submitted by Cindy Swann, District 3 Historian
District 3
February
Meeting was
held at
Henrico VRS.
We had a
pretty good turnout. Our next
meeting will be Saturday, May
2nd at Forest View VRS.
Warren Winner brought up
that all dues needs to be paid
up on time. At the same time it
was brought up that it is
important that activity reports
are submitted on time. This is
for all Districts.
As everyone is probably aware
by now that the Memorial
Service will be coming back to
Virginia. Everyone was pleased
to hear it. We were told it may
took 1st Place. We Thank
Henrico VRS for their
hospitality and great meal.
Hope everyone had a safe trip
home. Hope everyone had a
Great Easter and also hope
that everyone who attended
the Spring BOG meeting got a
lot of necessary information
and had a safe trip home.
District Three Life Members (l to r) Kenny Frenier,
Cindy Swann and Vernon Wilson
District Three
Kenneth Bennett On February 22, 2015 former Rescue Captain for
Lake Anna Rescue, Inc., as well as former Chief of
the Bumpass Fire Department Kenneth “Kenny”
Bennett passed away. Kenny Bennett not only
served his God and Country proudly as a Marine, he
served his community proudly. In his lifetime, he
had multiple occupations, but ended with his two
favorite as manager of Lake Anna Marina and bus driver for Louisa County Public
Schools. He has been a true inspiration to many of us over the last few years as he battled
cancer and continued to “answer the call” and run rescue. Kenny was buried with full military
honors on March 2nd. Heartfelt sympathy to family, friends and to his Fire/EMS family.
The district
used the week
postponement to
grieve and pray
for the family
of John Pauley
of Longshop
McCoy Fire and
First Aid INC.
John Pauley is a
District 7 Life
Member and the
active Chaplin.
He also served as Sargent at
Arms during the BOG meetings.
He passed on February 20,
2015 at Lewis Gale Hospital-
Montgomery at the age of 89.
John Pauley was a very active
member of the community of
McCoy. His dedication will be
missed by our organization and
the community that he served.
Competitions are in place to
sharpen our knowledge and
skills. With Tannersville having
6 inches of snow still on the
ground, the decision was made
to use the snow to our
advantage. Cones were set up in
the snow in four obstacles,
Parallel Parking, Blindside
Backing, Serpentine (forward
and backwards), and Line Drill.
A Kubota Side by Side was
driven through the course in
four wheel drive. The
Competition began with a snow
ball fight, which continued on
and off during the rest of the
evening. The driving was
competitive when 12 members
Submitted by Curtis Crawford, District 7 Secretary
Tucked in Freestone Valley, on
the Smyth and Tazewell County
lines, there is Tannersville
Rescue Squad. Chartered in
1984, Tannersville has been a
member of the VAVRS District
7 since 1988. On February 28,
Tannersville held the District 7
meeting. The meeting had been
cancelled the week before due
to inclement weather. This
weekend the weather would
work to our advantage.
took to the curse. The course
was tight and became tougher
as each person drove due to
ruts being created. The
winners are as follows: 5th
place Jolaine Kooger, 4th place
Holly Saul, 3rd place Danielle
Hannuksela, 2nd place Dustin
Mitcham, 1st place Gregg
Pfaff. All the winners in EVOC
competition hailed from Riner
Rescue Squad. “Trophies are
great, but more competition
would be better,” quoted Gregg
Pfaff, talking about needing
more people to compete at each
meeting. The ALS and BLS
competitions were held in an
ambulance as intercepts for
hypothermic patients. Winners
of the BLS competition were as
follows: 2nd place Shawsville
Rescue Squad and 1st place
Riner Rescue Squad. Winner of
the ALS competition was Riner
Rescue Squad. Shawsville
Rescue Squad submitted an
ALS call of the Quarter.
Shawsville responded to a male
(Continued on page 35)
P a g e 3 4 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
District Seven
P a g e 3 5 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
that fell from a tree stand,
breaking ribs and puncturing
lungs. The patient was flown by
Lifeguard to Carilion Roanoke
Memorial. Patient made a full
recovery.
After a beautiful invocation by
Nancy Frye of Tannersville, the
meeting was catered by
Southern Catering with pulled
pork on a bun with sides. There
was plenty of amazing food.
Tannersville members provided
some sides and multiple
desserts. The meeting was
called to order by Coby Fizer.
Competition awards were
handed out to the winners.
Riner Rescue Squad had the
most members present and
Shawsville Rescue Squad
traveled the most miles to the
meeting. John Pauley was
recognized for his years of
service to our district. A half
and half drawing for 33 dollars
(Continued from page 34) was won by BJ Holmes of
Tannersville, VA. Scott Davis,
State Secretary, gave a report
from state. Coby Fizer,
District 7 VP continued the
meeting with old news. The
District voted to donate 100
dollars to Longshop/McCoy Fire
and First Aid INC, in memory
of John Pauley. After new news
was brought forward, the
meeting was adjourned.
The Next meeting for District
7 will be held at Nellies Cave
Park in Blacksburg Virginia.
This is the district’s annual
picnic.
John D. Pauley
John Pauley, died February 20, 2015.
He was a Life Member of the Longshop-
McCoy Fire and Rescue Squad and
District 7 as well as Chaplain and served
as one of the Sergeant-at-Arms during VAVRS Board
of Governor Meetings. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out
to family, friends and to his Fire/EMS family.
P a g e 3 6 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Bike Team Shamrock Marathon
Chesapeake Beach Rescue Crew Julia & Thomas
Sunny Day Duty at Chic's Beach
Ocean Park Rescue Squad on Cardiac Call
Plaza Heavy Squad Truck 16
VB EMS Marine Rescue Team Polar Plunge Standby
VBVRS Chief Ellen McBride Mentoring
New EMT Intern
P a g e 3 7
Feb 17th Snow Storm Rescue 14 Volunteer Night Crews
M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
Feb 27th Snow Rescue 5 ambulance
Jack Dye & Bobby Hill Recruiting
at Centura College
Plaza Rescue Duty Crew-During Snow Storm VBVRS Rescue 14 Shamrock Oyster Roast Caddy on Display
Photos from around Virginia Beach
submitted by Bobby Hill
He said, “That’s a big decision.
Have you talked it over with
your family?”
I said, “Yes, we took a vote …
and they’re in favor of it 15 to
2.”
Dear Rescue Ranger,
Got a short story for you: I
asked a patient with a broken
leg to describe his pain level on
a scale of 1 to 10 and he said,
“It is definitely a “10”.” So I
asked him how much morphine
he wanted and he said, “Give
me the maximum-allowable
dosage, figure out what will kill
me, and then back it off a little
bit.” Funny?
Laughing in Luray
Dear Scott,
I asked one of my patients "On
a scale of zero to ten with zero
representing no pain and ten
representing
excruciating
pain, what
would you say
your pain level
is now?"
She shook her
head. "Oh, I
don’t know. I’m
not good with
math."
Dear Rescue Ranger
Dear Rescue Ranger,
I experienced my first
colonoscopy. I know that
colonoscopies are important
medical procedures that have
saved lives but I do not want to
go through that again!
Feeling Weird
Dear Weird,
Now you know how a Muppet
feels!
Dear Rescue Ranger,
Have you ever had trouble
sleeping at the squad building.
There are many nights I just
can’t get to sleep because of
weird noises. Can you relate?
Sleepless in Staunton
Dear Kim,
I know how you feel, for a long
time I would get into a bed at
the squad and would think
there’s somebody under it. I
was in so much fear that I
thought about going to a
psychiatrist. I found out they
charge about $200 per hour
and they wanted me to come
twice a week for two years. I
found an alternative and it
cured my fear instantly—I cut
the legs off the bed.
Dear Rescue Ranger,
Anything going on in your home
life?
Curious in Chancellor
Dear Kevin,
After a checkup with my
doctor he asked me, “Is there
anything I’d like to discuss?”
“Well,” I said, “I was thinking
about getting a vasectomy.”
Dear Rescue Ranger,
Got a story for you: I’d just
come home from my sixth
medical appointment of the
week with one more to go, so I
was in a lousy mood when my
daughter called. After I
recited my woes, my daughter
said, "Well, six doctors is
better than one coroner."
Sick in Southside
Dear Bubby,
My wife was admitted to the
hospital prior to a procedure,
the clerk asked for her wrist,
saying, "I’m going to give you a
bracelet."
"Has it got rubies and
diamonds?" She asked coyly.
"No," he said. "But it costs just
as much."
P a g e 3 8 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 5 P a g e 3 9
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2
PO Box 279
2535 Turkey Creek Road
Oilville, VA 23129
ISSN 0279-6023
Phone: 804-749-8191
Phone: 800-833-0602
Fax: 804-749-8910
E-mail: [email protected]
"Greater Love Hath No Man Than
This, That A Man Lay down His
Life For His Friends." John 15:13
Virginia Association of Volunteer
Rescue Squads, Inc.
The Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads is THE voice of EMS…. the advocate for our members, Virginia’s EMS agencies and providers. We link members
and agencies for the purpose of sharing ideas, giving you a voice at the General Assembly, on state advisory boards, as well as on state and local committees. When our members have training issues or needs, they come to the VAVRS.
When our members need assistance from leadership to budgets they come to the VAVRS. We help rescue squads throughout the Commonwealth thrive and succeed so they can provide prompt, effective patient care 24/7 in the communities they serve.
Celebrating our 80th Anniversary
HAVING AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR NEEDS
AND GOALS IS THE WAY WE SERVE YOU
Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads, Inc.
PO Box 279 2535 Turkey Creek Road
Oilville, VA 23129
(800)833-0602 (804)749-8191
Website: www.vavrs.com
Email: [email protected]