2nd Quarter 2020 LIFELLINE

Virginia

LIFELINE 2nd Quarter 2020

The Official Publication of the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads

85 YEARS

AND COUNTING

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A MESS AGE FROM THE CHAPL AI N As chaplain of VAVRS, I am eager to work with all members, agencies, staff and leadership as we explore our spiritual value, commitments, and express our religious traditions I also understand that, as chaplain, I can be a companion in life's journey, through the painful places of illness, grief and abuse, as well as through joyful celebrations of achievement, accomplishment, and important relationships.

I would like to share with you eight (8) core Christian values. Based on God and the work of Jesus Christ. Christian values are based on spiritual things and are not material related. Even though these values are spiritual in nature, the evidence of these values come through deeds and actions.

Acceptance of these values inspires us to treat others with respect, kindness and concern.

Eight Core Christian Values 1 2

Grace Hope

3 4 5 6 7 8

Faith Love Justice Joy Service Peace

Kindness from God, even when it is not deserved An optimistic state of mind, with an expectation of a positive outcome Confidence and trust based on God’s plan Strong and positive interpersonal affection For all, equal fair and unbiased actions Happiness, essential social value Serving, caring and putting others first Calm, positive well being

Peace

The idea of Christian service has no better starting point than the Jesus’ willingness to serve humanity by giving up his life in order that others might be saved. As he said of himself, he ‘did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Jesus intended the community of faith to be radically distinct in this regard. Indeed, selfless service and a concern for the weak and the powerless became the distinguishing mark of the early Christian community. Individuals and the Christian community to lay these aside for the sake of Christ and the needs of others. Service of others is an important value for all social relationships. ”More to come in the next article”

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2020 VAVRS Officers and Committee Chairs President - Connie Moore Vice President - Wesley Melson Secretary - Curtis Crawford Treasurer - Ryan Scarbrough Training Officer - Toby Akers Chaplain - Joey King Chaplain Emeritus - Page Entsminger Immediate Past President - Scott Davis Editor - Gary Dalton Parliamentarian - J. C. Phillips Facilities Manager - George Langford Legal Advisor - Mary Malone Medical Advisor - Dr. Scott Hayes District 1 Vice President - Nick Brown District 2 Vice President - Jimmy Lee Pair District 3 Vice President - John V Hilliard Jr District 5 Vice President - Frank Smith District 6 Vice President - Travis Pruitt District 7 Vice President - Catherine Kresmer District 8 Vice President - Thomas Tomlin District 9 Vice President - Tony Cox District 10 Vice President - Diana Wills Executive Director - Matt Henke Finance Manager - Cynthia Babb Office Coordinator - Mary Shively Training Coordinator - Ethan Clark Lobbyist - Ed Rhodes

Convention - Bubby Bish Bylaws - Jim Cromer I T Coordinator - Steve Ayers Rescue College - John Craig Finance - Ryan Scarbrough Scholarship - Carolyn Brand Human Resources - Wesley Melson Legislative - Dreama Chandler Life Member - Gary Dalton Publication - Gary Dalton Hall of Fame - Kevin Dillard EMS Advisory Board - Valeta Daniels EMS Advisory Board - Dreama Chandler EMS Exchange - Scott Davis Nominating - Kevin Dillard National EMS Memorial - Scott Davis Strategic Planning - Connie Moore

2020 VAJVRS Officers President - Brandon Propst Vice President - William Andrews Secretary/Treasurer - Adam Hanger Historian - Laken Woods Chaplain - Shyann Johnson Advisor Chair - Alfred Smith

2019-2020 AVAVRS Officers and Committee Chairs President - Fay Browning Vice President - Eddie Orndoff Secretary - Maxie Kerns Treasurer - Nellie Sue Ritchie Chaplain - Rhonda Thompson Historian - Christy Jefferies Parliamentarian - Carolyn Brand Immediate Past President - Ailease Short Midwestern Vice President - Garland Linkous Northeastern Vice President - Kelly Snell Southcentral Vice President - Bridgette Smoot Southeastern Vice President - Stacey Frame Southwestern Vice President - Marcella Caudill Western Vice President - Kathy Plummer Official

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Membership - Eddie Ann Orndoff Finance - Nellie Sue Ritchie Resolutions - Carolyn Brand Emergency Care - Laura Booze Nominating - Fran Phillips Life Member - Fern Puckett Convention Chair - Joan Smoot Convention Co-Chair - Janis Slough Roll Call Chair - Diane Haga Roll Call Co-Chair - Avil Graybeal Fundraising Chair - Tracey Frame Fundraising Co-Chair - Judy Frame

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Deadline for the Upcoming Issues of the VIRGINIA LIFELINE Deadline for future issues are as follows: December 15 for the 1st Quarter Issue March 15 for the 2nd Quarter Issue June 15 for the 3rd Quarter Issue July 15 for the Convention Issue September 15 for the 4th Quarter Issue

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 VAVRS Editor (editor@vavrs.com) if you need assistance submitting to the publication.

Advertising Rates: Member Squads…,…......no charge Full Page…………………..$ 275.00 Half Page………………..…$150.00 Quarter Page……………....$100.00 Business Card……………..$ 50.00

PARLIAMENTARY LAW: Did you know?

Submitted by J. C. Phillips, VAVRS Parliamentarian Did you know the way your Bylaws states a “two-thirds vote”, could mean something other than what you wanted it to mean?

What is a two-thirds vote anyway? It can mean different things to different people, depending on how a “two-thirds vote” is written in your organization’s Bylaws.

If your Bylaws state that a particular decision requires a two-thirds vote, which means it will take at least two-thirds of the votes cast for the decision to be approved. Abstentions and blank ballots are not counted in the vote.

If your Bylaws state “By a vote of two-thirds of the voting members present and voting ”, means what is stated above. Example: There are 30 voting members at a meeting and 25 vote. A two-thirds vote of 25 is 17.

For the motion to pass there must be 17 affirmative votes. Do not count the 5 voting members who did not vote.

However, if your Bylaws state “By a vote of two-thirds of the voting members present, would mean a two-thirds vote of 30. Count all of the voting members in the vote whether they voted or not. This is because your Bylaws stated “Two-thirds of the voting members present”. They all are voting members but all of them may not have voted. In this scenario, the vote would require 20 votes to pass since, two-thirds of 30 is 20. Most squads don’t think this is fair, to be counted, when a voting member doesn’t vote, even if that is the way your Bylaws are written.

Remember: “Two-Thirds Vote [at last two-thirds of the votes cast by persons legally entitled to vote, excluding blanks and abstentions, at a regular or properly called meeting at which a quorum is present].”

So, what can be done to remedy this situation? Make sure that your Bylaws states “A two-thirds vote” or “A two-thirds vote of voting members present and voting”. This should make it much clearer for everyone.

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Southside Virginia Emergency Crew Honors Members Written by Bee Betts Photos courtesy of Jennifer Lewis Southside Virginia Emergency celebrated both volunteerism and enthusiastic work effort in a small awards ceremony held during the volunteer meeting on Tuesday, January 7, 2020.

The Volunteer of the Year award was named the C. B. “Pat” Jarvis, Jr. Award in honor of active life member Pat Jarvis. Pat has served as role model, mentor and dedicated member of Southside Virginia Emergency Crew for over 50 years.

The first recipient of the C. B. “Pat” Jarvis, Jr. Award was John Campbell. John exhibited the true sense of volunteerism over the past year through many dedicated hours answering 911 calls, mentoring new volunteers, and performing administrative duties.

In addition to being an active member of Southside Director Bubby Bish honoring C. B. “Pat” Jarvis, Jr. Virginia Emergency Crew, John was awarded his life membership with Luray Volunteer Rescue Squad in 1995. John has a Master’s Degree from West Virginia University and is the Director of Environmental Health and Safety for Boar’s Head Provisions, Inc. In his spare time, John is the volunteer scorekeeper and announcer for the Prince George High School boys’ basketball team.

Congratulations, John, on a job well done.

Maria Crafton was chosen 2019 Employee of the Year by her peers. Maria became a state and national registered EMT in July of 2014. Her cheerful attitude, willingness to support her fellow providers, and overall exemplary patient care are qualities that are recognized by her peers and the patients we serve.

Maria comes from a military family. Her mother served in the Army for 23 years and her father served 2 tours in Viet Nam. Maria found a home in Central Virginia after traveling frequently while growing up. In her spare time, Maria still enjoys traveling and creating beautiful artwork. She has a BA degree in Fine Arts from VCU. Congratulations, Maria, for a job well done.

Director presenting award to Maria Crafton Official

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New dates are being sought for this event information will be distributed and available on VAVRS.com.

Stay Safe!

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Colonial Beach VRS Announces Award Winners, Installs Officers for 2020 Patricia FitzGerald named Top Call Runner Donna Shelar & Danny Stinson honored with Life Membership Colonial Beach, VA (Jan. 6, 2020) – At its annual banquet on Jan. 4, 2020, Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad (CBVRS) kicked off the new year with installation of officers and presented awards honoring several members for their outstanding achievements in 2019.

In his remarks, Chief Straughan noted that the squad responded to 953 calls for service, a 9 percent increase over the calls from 2018. Also, CBVRS provided assistance for 69 standbys and 9 flyouts by helicopter.

CBVRS members participated in 950 hours of training to advance their professionalism and skills in the EMS field.

Chief Straughan announced that the squad received a 50/50 grant from the Virginia Office of EMS. The grant funds will be combined with generous community contributions to purchase two Lucas 3 chest compression systems that will provide life-saving support to patients in cardiac arrest and needing continuous CPR while being transported to the nearest hospital.

Once again, Lt. Pat FitzGerald was the squad’s Top Call Runner for 2019 with 760 calls, a 28 percent increase over the number of calls that she responded to in 2018. Other members in the Top 5 Call Runner list for 2019 were Chief Joey Straughan with 128 calls, Lt. Danny Stinson with 116 calls, Assistant Chief Donna Shelar with 78 calls and Troy Green. with 57 calls.

Donna Shelar and Danny Stinson were named new Life Members of CBVRS. Life Membership denotes the highest level of service and commitment to the EMS mission of Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad.

Carol King and Lewis Bowen, Sr. received Chief’s Recognition Certificates for participating in a large number of standbys during the year. Chief Straughan praised their dedication to providing standby EMS services at many events held in Colonial Beach and Westmoreland County.

Dr. Lisa Dodd, a Life Member of CBVRS and an ER physician at Riverside Hospital in Tappahannock, conducted the swearing in ceremonies for the squad’s officers in 2020.

Administrative Officers for 2020

Operational Line Officers for 2020

President – Bobby Rivenbark

Chief - Joey Straughan

Vice President – Danny Stinson

Assistant Chief – Pat FitzGerald

Secretary – Krystal Eldred

Captain – Danny Stinson

Treasurer – Pat FitzGerald

Lieutenant – Les Greeley

Support Team Officers for 2020 Co-Leaders – Valerie Ivanyshyn and Samantha Straughan Secretary – Debie Guest Treasurer – Pat FitzGerald (Continued on page 9)

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(Continued from page 8)

Appreciation certificates were presented to a number of individuals, businesses and organizations for their support of CBVRS in 2019.

“Congratulations to Pat, Donna, Danny and the other award winners who were recognized at the event,” said Chief Straughan. “We’re looking forward to a continued partnership with all police, fire, EMS agencies, as well as town and county officials, to serve the citizens in Colonial Beach and Westmoreland County with the highest quality of emergency patient care in 2020.”

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Scholarships anyone?

To apply for any of the VAVRS Scholarships is a lot easier now! There is only one application to fill out for the: Julian S Wise, Anne J. Gwaltney, Kelly G. Southard and Sylvia & Garry Clatterbuck Scholarships.

Since the applications have been combined into one, only the new application will be accepted. Applications are due by June 15. The application can be found on the VAVRS Website or contact Carolyn Brand at 804 746.2289.

General Criteria for all You must be accepted at a fully accredited college or University or waiting acceptance at an institution that meets these criteria.

You or your parent must have been a member of the VAVRS, AVAVRS, or VAJVRS for at least 2 years.

You may not have received this scholarship before.

Individual Criteria Julian S. Wise Scholarship You may also be a Grandchild of a member with five (5) or more years of service in the VAVRS or AVAVRS Anne J. Gwaltney Scholarship You must be less than 35 years old to apply Members of District 3 take priory Sylvia & Garry Clatterbuck Scholarship You may also be a Grandchild of a member with five (5) or more years of service in the VAVRS or AVAVRS The amount of EMS work or EMS qualifications matter the most Kelly G. Southard Scholarship You must be less than 65 years old to apply

Award: Application must be received by June 15. The winner is announced at the annual Conference.

Applications sent to: cbrand2289@gmail.com or Carolyn Brand, 8354 Rustic Lane, Mechanicsville, VA 23116 The check is mailed to the college in December.

Applications are on the VAVRS web page www.vavrs.com or call the Carolyn Brand, 804 746-2289 Official

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Greetings from Bensley-Bermuda Auxiliary Submitted by Ailease Short We are hoping everyone had a great holiday season and enjoying what is left of our winter. Here at Bensley we are all ready for an early spring.

As always Bensley Auxiliary has been very busy with serving our squad and community. We are still attracting new members.

Bensley Squad and Auxiliary had their annual Installation banquet at the Grand Ballroom at the John Marshall in Richmond back on January 18th. We used a Masquerade Theme and everyone in attendance had a grand time. It was a dress up affair and everyone enjoyed the masks. The food was marvelous and they served us all night long. We even had little mid-night snacks of mini cheeseburgers and fries. The casino was very nice and everyone had a great time playing at the tables. The door prizes were out of this world. There were many VAVRS and AVAVRS people present for the event. Bubby Bish of Southside in Petersburg installed the Squad officers for 2020 and Elsie Butler of Henrico installed the Auxiliary officers for 2020.

Thanks Bubby and Elsie for a great installation. You both did a great job. One of our squad members was on sight taking pictures all evening.

As Elsie installed our officers she gave each officer a box of chocolates. In the big scheme of things, we all know that “life is like a box of chocolates”; we are all different and it takes all of us to fill the box. Each of us has different ideas about things and to make our chocolate box complete we all have to work together. You never know what is on the inside until to you take a look. So as this year goes on, let’s appreciate our box of chocolates and live our Rescue and Auxiliary Life to the fullest. In the end what a sweet time we will have.

The banquet committee did a great job with the decorations and the door prizes. Thanks for all who came and enjoyed the evening with us. We look forward to seeing many of you again throughout the state this year.

Thanks to all the Auxiliaries and Squads for all that you do for your communities.

Keep up the great work. We are proud of each and everyone of you.

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VAVRS Lifeline Communication…….

AVAVRS Secretary Checking In…….

Greetings, AVAVRS friends!!!!!

The 2019- 2020 term has kept me busy, sharing on behalf of AVAVRS Madame President Fay Browning and a multitude of members from across the state, who needed to be uplifted or have information sent out. THANKS for reaching out to others!

To date, I’ve had a few auxiliary information updates and welcome more! Especially if your Auxiliary President changes!

If any AVAVRS member would like to be added to our communication network, please let me know.

THANKS for all you do and please keep in touch!!

Maxine Kerns, AVAVRS Secretary Official

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Nominating Committee Submitted by Kevin Dillard, Chair All qualified candidates interested in seeking an elected position for the VAVRS need to send in their letter of intent and resume to the VAVRS office by no later than June 1, 2020. Following that date, we will convene the committee to interview the candidates for the positions they are seeking.

It is our responsibility as leaders to mentor and groom our future leaders. If you know of a great potential candidate that would be interested in serving the association and assisting us with growing, please encourage them to reach out to us. We are seeking our quality leaders of tomorrow!

Hall of Fame Committee Submitted by Kevin Dillard, Chair The application period for the Rescue Hall of Fame closed on March 1st. Award recipient (s) will be announced at the 2020 Convention in Virginia Beach.

Follow us on Facebook—see regular posts by the VAVRS Training Officer Toby Akers for up-to-date information on the training programs of the VAVRS.

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From the Legislative Attic Submitted by Ed Rhodes

General Assembly Goes Home 5 Days Late To Finish the Budget PTSD for Providers Passes The 2020 General Assembly session finished most of their work one day late this year (March 8th), but will be returning on March 12th to deal with the budget. The sixty day session began with a new majority and they overloaded the system with bills, with Legislative Services working four attorneys short this year, and bringing one out of retirement. One Senator introduced sixty bills. There were 3,899 bills, resolutions, etc. introduced with 2,239 bills passing the House and 2,147 bills that passed the Senate. Then there were 1,257 bills that failed. Don’t do any math on these numbers, there are other categories also.

Now I will touch base on a few bills of interest that VAVRS had a part in at some point during the session.

Worker’s compensation – there were probably about eight to ten bills ranging from repetitive motion to cancer to occupational disease presumptions. Many were incorporated into other bills, but most have to wait until April 6th or later to be signed by the Governor.

Two major bills VAVRS worked on with the VPFF who were the primary organization behind the bills are as follows: a. Cancer Presumption – 3 new cancers were added to the list of presumptive cancer adds colon, brain, or testes to the list of cancers that are presumed to be an occupational disease covered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act. The bill was carried by Senator Saslaw and numerous others whose bills were incorporated into his SB 9. b. PTSD – This bill was written as an occupational disease and carried by Senator Jill Vogel along with others whose bills were also incorporated into hers in the Senate and by Delegate Steve Heretick in the House. This bill included law enforcement, fire and EMS providers the language. The Governor has amended the bill and the General Assembly needs to approve the change on April 22nd before he signs the bill.

Hand held communications – Again a number of bills were introduced on this subject. After every bill was discussed, etc., there was one house bill and one senate bill left and one Senate bill that only applied to school zones and was defeated.

Move Over Law – this is the bill that we made the big push last year for public safety vehicles in the major category and the remaining vehicles with yellow, purple, and other colors in a second one.

This year the tow truck operators wanted to be in the same category with public safety emergency vehicles and tried to place everyone in one section – you get a reckless driving ticket. The House bill was defeated in a Senate committee and the Senate version was defeated on the Senate floor, but may be back next year.

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(Continued from page 14)

VDOT Safety Vehicles – Once again, VDOT and the Governor want to have certain VDOT safety vehicles equipped with red lights and sirens and be classified as emergency vehicles. Two bills were defeated in Senate Transportation and a House bill was left in committee. These will probably be brought back again next year also.

Transportation Bills – The Governor had a package of transportation bills that (i) increased the tax on gasoline, (ii) cut the registration fee by about $10.00, and (iii) safety issues. The fuel tax increase did pass as did the registration fee. The $4 for Life funding that VAVRS is a recipient of was not touched by the cut back in registration fees. Safety issues dealt with seat belts. Part of the two bills made not wearing a seat belt a primary offense with civil fines. The second part dealt with wearing them. Originally, the code said only those in the front seat had to be buckled in, but the new version said everyone and that included ambulances.

VAVRS worked with the Secretary of Transportation, VAGEMSA, VAA and the Regional Councils on language to be included in the use of seat belt exemptions for those in the patient compartment when a patient was on board. Both of these bills failed in the last two days of the session because of opposition to seat belts being made a primary offense.

The Budget – The conference committee report on the budget was released on House Appropriations website on March 9th, 331 pages for the 2 year biennium and 44 pages for the remainder of this fiscal year.

So going through all of the changes is fairly time consuming. Here are the major ones that have been located so far beginning with the 2 year budget: Fingerprinting costs have risen for OEMS and Senator McPike added an amendment of $100,000.00 to help cover those costs. The funds are coming from RSAF moneys.

Poison control will receive, in addition to the $1.0 million they already receive, an additional $500,000.00 for the first year of the budget only.

The budget for this year has language in it for funding of the trauma fund since the $100.00 payment to get driver’s licenses back has been removed from the budget bill (SB 29). Funds from the EMS Special Fund to the Trauma fund were reduced by $6.1 million.

This was the “long” or the 60 day session which went an additional 5 days. Some of the floor sessions went into the late evening hours before adjournment committee meetings picked up where the session stopped. I would like to thank District III VP John Hilliard for coming in a couple of times on specific bills and also a couple of Forest View’s members for attending subcommittee meetings on other bills. Next year there needs to be more participation by VAVRS members in order to get additional bills passed.

The Governor will have until the end of May to sign bills that he amended or act on votes by the legislature.

Once all of this is done I will have an up to date listing of bills we tracked with the outcome included available, either on line, at the office or upon request.

Any questions you may have please feel free to contact the legislative committee members or myself. This concludes my article and thanks for your support.

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2020 Rescue College John H. Craig, III, Chair Rescue College is scheduled for June 12th-24th, 2020. The Rescue College Committee has been working diligently to make this another great week of educational opportunities. As your chairman, I hope everyone is having a good year with the exception of a little “March Madness”. The committee attempts every year to give you the classes that have been requested, taught by some of the best instructors.

Now, let me explain my comment on “March Madness” in a little more detail. I would be remiss not mention the current situation across the Commonwealth and our Nation. At this time I am not sure what the status of the Governor’s State of Emergency Declaration for the Commonwealth will be by early June, however I do want you to know the Rescue College Committee is moving forward to make the 2020 Rescue College occur as planned. Everyone needs to be aware the Association will have to abide by any and all restrictions imposed by State and Local government. The committee and the Top Officers have been and will continue to monitor the effects of the Coronavirus on our State as well as our First Responders. We are continuing to move forward as scheduled.

The Rescue College Committee is excited about the classes being offered. Bob Page, well known instructor from VAOEMS, will be in attendance and offering two days of classes. The Leadership Management course is being offered and I encourage all that have not taken this class to take it. It prepares you to be a leader as well as further your knowledge if you are already in leadership. The Youth Rescue Camp is an exciting class for our young people. It is a time they will learn the basics of first aid as well as a fellowship for the youth of our First Responder Community. As always the classes on Technical Rescue, Continuing Education classes, Infection Disease update and Designated Officer class, Sports Medicine and all the Life Support classes such as ACLS, PHTLS, PALS, GEMS, TNCC, GEMS and AMLS are being offered. There are many Leadership classes being taught. It is hard to find these Leadership Classes all in one place.

It is time for all to be updated on Technical Rescue. There are changes made on a daily basis. Our instructors work hard to stay up to date annually and to pass the latest on to you. These classes are long and all work hard to get through but in the end it pays off. Some of the best technical instructors attend Rescue College to make sure that all providers who sign up to take these classes learn all there is to learn on Vehicle Awareness and Operations, Hazardous Material Awareness, Basic and Light Duty Rescue Awareness, Vertical Rescue, Farm Machinery, School Bus Extrication, Search and Rescue, Swift Water, SEOR-OPS, TIMS, Wilderness First Aid/Emergency Care, Stabilization University and EVOC. There is also opportunities to be an instructor. The Methods of Instruction class is offered so that new providers can get started if wish to be an instructor.

Blacksburg Virginia offers many amenities. There are great restaurants and a beautiful campus to visit at Virginia Tech. Special events that are being offered are on Wednesday, June 17th, attendees have been invited to the Christiansburg Rescue Squad for a social. On Friday, June 19th, VAVRS is hosting the annual Rescue College Cook Out. The Brochure and registration are on the VAVRS website. Please register if you have not done so. As the deadline for registration is May 15, 2020. I encourage you to pass the information to everyone about our Rescue College to your agency as well as neighboring agencies. This is an educational opportunity that no one should lose out on. As the Chairman I will keep you updated through emails and the website on any changes that may occur, any changes in classes and the latest on any events.

I am looking forward to seeing all in June. Please be safe.

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Never Too Late & Never Too Early Submitted by Morgan Szymczyk M.A.—Marketing & Communications Manager

While the field of EMS can sometimes be challenging to become a part of, LifeCare Medical Transports strives to ensure those individuals with a passion for quality patient care and community service are given the tools necessary to become highly training and qualified EMS professionals.

Over the year, LifeCare participates in numerous health fairs and career days across Virginia to help spark the growth and compassion for Emergency Medical Services. While some of these individuals LifeCare encounters may have a few years before they can become employees, LifeCare plants the seed hoping to inspire and help the next generation of providers.

One such event LifeCare participates in is the annual Fredericksburg Kids Expo. During this event thousands of children and their parents are able to explore numerous attractions such as rock walls, butterfly exhibits, musical petting zoo, and meet and learn more about their local public safety departments. During this time LifeCare’s providers do

LifeCare Medical Transports’ Stephani Atkins, demonstrating proper seatbelt preparation for transports. not only get to interact with the children and their parents and show them around the ambulance, but oftentimes they meet children who are aspiring to become EMS providers or parents who are looking for a new career path.

Throughout LifeCare’s organization they have created training initiatives to help those who start out as drivers or assisted field techs, who help provide lift assist on a three person crew, to later becoming EMTs. Numerous employees at LifeCare who started their career as an assisted field tech or driver, have gone on to seek further education and training and become emergency medical technicians.

LifeCare Medical Transports’ Parkinson’s Disease Awareness ambulance on display at the 2020 Fredericksburg Kids Expo.

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LifeCare is always looking to grow and expand and is looking forward to empowering those with a compassion for patient care. Regardless of age, the passion for community service and patient care can truly create new and exciting opportunities each and every day.

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Rescue Squad Assistance Fund Submitted by Kevin Dillard, Chair The Rescue Squad Assistance Fund (RSAF) Spring cycle award's program closed on March 16, 2020. The grant committee will be meeting soon to make award recommendations to the Health Commissioner. Recent grant cycles have seen over $14 million in requests. Awards are officially announced after July 1st and you can go to the Office of EMS website at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/emergency-medical-services/administrationfinance/rsaf-grants-program/ to see which agencies were awarded grants.

This is a multi-million dollar matching grant program for Virginia governmental, volunteer and non-profit EMS agencies and organizations to provide financial assistance based on financial need. The monies are primarily for EMS equipment and vehicles along with EMS programs and projects.

Starting with the upcoming 2020 Fall cycle, we will be having as a priority EMD funding. This will be a priority for not only the Fall 2020 cycle but also both cycles in 2021. There are currently 35 jurisdictions in Virginia that do not have EMD and we want to make it a priority to get these 35 jurisdictions up to this standard. Please refer to the map to see which jurisdictions that do not have EMD. If I can assist anyone, please feel free to reach out to me.

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LifeCare Presents The Future of High Flow Ventilation at the 2020 Central EMS Expo

Lt. Richard Szymczyk presenting at the 2020 Central EMS Expo in Henrico, Virginia.

Submitted by Morgan Szymczyk M.A.— Marketing & Communications Manager During the 2020, Central EMS Expo in Henrico, Virginia, LifeCare Medical Transports’ Workforce Health and Safety Manager, Richard Szymczyk along with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s Mike Beck presented a training and informational session on the future of high flow ventilation. With LifeCare’s AIRVO 2 program in full force in central and northern Virginia, LifeCare was excited to show other EMS providers in the region the new system.

The AIRVO 2 generates high flows of warmed and humidified respiratory gases, delivered to spontaneously breathing patients through a variety of nasal, tracheostomy, and mask interfaces. As a result of prospective, randomized clinical trials, the AIRVO 2 emerged as another option for patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Mike Beck & Lt. Richard Szymczyk explaining the benefits of the AIRVO 2 and its use in the EMS field.

The AIRVO 2 is being seen more and more as an alternative to BIPAP and CPAP for some patients. The benefits of the AIRVO 2 are becoming more evident with clinical studies. At LifeCare they have seen an increase use of the AIRVO 2 on pediatric patients allowing the patients to receive the respiratory assistance they need, while also not compromising patient comfortability.

As LifeCare continues to grow and expand in this new training and medical initiative their hope is to help spread awareness of the benefits of the AIRVO 2. If you or your agency is interested in learning more please reach out to Lt. Richard Szymczyk at Rszymczyk@LifeCare94.com.

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Madison County Volunteer Rescue Squad Cadets of the Year The Madison County Volunteer Rescue Squad, is proud to extend “Congratulations� to Evie Foster and Breanna Tompkins on receiving the honor of being named the Cadets of the Year. These are the emergency attendants of the future. Thanks to all the Cadets, for helping the Squad with our Fund Raisers, Their help is much appreciated, when you see them at the fund raisers or anywhere else, thank them for a great job.

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Madison County Volunteer Rescue Squad The Madison County Volunteer Rescue Squad held a Banquet in January and recognized the following members for their dedication.

Steven Dodson, MCRS Captain, presented the top 5 responders to emergency calls with awards for their outstanding dedication to the Squad. Ryan Markey, Michael Kestner, Amanda Lamb, David Lefon & Nicholas Smith. Several other members also received certificates of appreciation for responding to numerous emergency calls.

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VA Beach EMS Training New recruits and in-service for seasoned volunteers.

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VAVRS Scrapbooks & VAJVRS Scrapbooks Submitted by Mike Smoot ATTENTION: VAVRS District VP’s VAVRS District Historians VAVRS Squad Historians VAJVRS Historians This is to advise that there will be a competition this year at Convention for the VAVRS and VAJVRS Scrapbooks (both squad and district). This duty has been turned over to the AVAVRS and Fay Browning, AVAVRS President, has asked me as VAVRS Life Member and Past VAVRS Historian to take on this position. I had previously volunteered to do this job at no cost to VAVRS and I will continue to do this position at no cost to either association. I feel this job as Historian is a very important part of keeping our history alive for those coming up behind us in the future.

A copy of the rules which include the deadline of AUGUST 24, 2020 AT 5:00 P.M. are available on the VAVRS.com website. Do not send the books to the State Office, they will be returned.

District VP’s, please encourage someone in your District to do a book for your District. It is preserving your time in office and your history. You will enjoy looking back at these books later after your term in office.

I am also looking for sponsors for the trophies for the scrapbooks. We need one (1) for 1 st place District and two (2) for 1st and 2nd place for the VAVRS senior books and then one (1) for 1st place District and two (2) for 1st and 2nd place VAJVRS books. Checks should be made payable to the AVAVRS, indicate what trophy you are sponsoring and mailed to my address above. Awards will be presented on Saturday at the awards ceremony at Convention.

Let’s see what District can have the most books entered. Hope to have one from every District.

Good Luck to everyone! Look forward to seeing them all.

MIKE SMOOT 1476 Ashbourne Dr. Lynchburg, VA 24501 (434) 944-3955 email: msmoot53@hotmail.com Official

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The Vinton First Aid Crew lost one of its members today. Irvin "Doug" Adams served the Vinton First Aid Crew for 48.8 years joining May 1,1971. Doug served many positions on the crew, was Captain of the crew 1980-1981 and then served as Chief 2002-2005 and again from 2005-2010. He also served as treasurer of the crew for many years and was our current President of the crew. He served on town council and served on the Vinton Lions Club as well as instrumental in starting the Vinton Needy Family Project for Christmas. Doug also was a great family man with his wife Brenda, and his kids Donna and Mike and their families. Doug's second family was the rescue squad as he molded so many leaders to lead the crew into the 21st Century.

The Vinton First Aid Crew sends our deepest condolences to Mike, Donna, Anita and the rest of the family.

We know he is not suffering anymore and he is with Brenda again in heaven. And If I know him like I do, he has found Frank, Richard Earl and Joe to strike up a card game. May you rest in peace my friend and thank you for your service not only to the crew but to the Town of Vinton as well.

Wayne Guffey, Rescue Chief Vinton First Aid Crew

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Washington, D.C. (February 20, 2020) – The National EMS Memorial Service (NEMSMS), the National EMS Memorial Foundation and the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride (NEMSMBR) announce that preparations are underway for the 2020 National EMS Memorial Weekend of Honor, scheduled May 15-17 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center located at 201 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, MD 20745. The weekend includes a series of events that honor all Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers from air and ground who serve, but especially those who become ill or have been injured related to their duty, and culminates with the formal Service to specifically honor in the highest degree, those who have died in the line-of-duty. The events recognize EMS responders from across the United States. This years’ National EMS Memorial Service will pay tribute to 24 EMS fallen who made the Ultimate Sacrifice.

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VAVRS District 8 EVOC Class Held in Montross, VA. Total of 9 with 6 participating in Cone Judgement Course—ages 19 to 47 on this great day UT.PROSIM Submitted by Steve Reynolds, VAVRS EVOC Instructor

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February District 10 Meeting Madison Volunteer Rescue Squad

Submitted by Kevin Dillard, VAVRS past president Our District 10 meeting was held on February 2nd at the Madison Volunteer Rescue Squad. We had an increase in attendance for this meeting from our previous meetings. Some very good continuing education training was offered.

District 10 Training Officer Chad Gregg gave a presentation on Stop the Bleed. This was a very good presentation and he offered those in attendance the opportunity to do some hands on training.

District 10 Training Officer Chad Gregg

New VAVRS First Responder Training Coordinator Ethan Clarke

L-R Alt District 10 Vice President Xavier Bates, District 10 Vice President Diana Wills, District 10 Secretary Stephani Atkins Official

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Our next training opportunity was a presentation on Mental Health by Ethan Clarke, who is now our new Training Coordinator for the VAVRS! His presentation was very timely as we are seeing a very high incidence of public health providers taking their own life. This was a very interactive presentation that was well received by those in attendance.

After our morning of training, the Madison Volunteer Rescue Squad provided a wonderful meal for everyone. During the District meeting it was noted that all three of the officers sitting at the head table (Diana Wills- District 10 Vice President; Xavier Bates, Alternate District 10 Vice President and Stephani Atkins, District 10 Secretary) are all currently in the VAVRS Leadership program that started at Rescue College and is scheduled to conclude soon. We have been promoting within the district that all district officers need to have this valuable leadership training.

Byron Andrews, Immediate Past District 10 Vice President, was recognized for receiving the Governor's EMS Award for Excellence in EMS at the annual EMS Symposium in Norfolk. Byron has been the Rescue Chief at Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad for many years and has been extremely active in EMS locally, regionally and statewide.

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Also recognized at the district meeting was the Rappahannock EMS Council's Critical Incident Stress Management Team Therapy Dogs and Clergy Volunteers. They received the Governor's Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS Health and Safety during the annual EMS Symposium in Norfolk. This team is very active within Byron Andrews, recipient of the District 10 and Barbara Morrison and District 10 Governor's EMS Award for frequently is called Chaplain Bob Morrison with Astra Excellence in EMS upon to go throughout other areas of the state.

Discussion on the various EMS related bill that were before the General Assembly. Alternate District 10 Vice President Xavier Bates reported that he attended the General Assembly session during one of the calls for participation by VAVRS Lobbyist Ed Rhodes. He discussed the great work that Ed has been doing representing the VAVRS at the General Assembly and spoke about the Delegates he was able to meet while in Richmond.

Lots of good information was presented throughout the day at the district meeting. As we continue to grow, please consider inviting others to attend the next district meeting which will be held on June 6th at the Greater Manassas Volunteer Rescue Squad.

Photo Above—Kevin Dillard, Delegate Bobby Orrock (R), Althea Kidd and Alt. District 10 Vice President Xavier Bates Left Photo—Kevin Dillard, Alt. District 10 Vice President Xavier Bates, Delegate Josh Cole (D), Althea Kidd Page

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Dear Rescue Ranger Dear Rescue Ranger, I was wondering if you ever shop at Wal-Mart. My sister works there and they have about everything you would need, they support the community, they lower prices everyday and Sis says it is a great place to work.

Wally World Fan Dear Page, If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, why isn’t anything in the store free yet?

Dear Rescue Ranger, At what age is it appropriate to tell my dog that he is adopted?

Please keep my identity a secret Dear Bubby, I went to the doctor recently. He said: “Don’t eat anything fatty”. I said, “What, like bacon and burgers?” He said, “No, fatty, don’t eat anything.”

Dear Rescue Ranger, You can certainly tell that is election time. Every place you look there are signs in the yard, every TV show you watch has a political ad and Facebook has post after post supporting different candidates. Kind of tiring—can’t wait for November when it is all over.

Voting in Vinton Dear Wayne, It’s important to look closely at those lawn signs during election campaigns. Last time I voted for a real estate agent!

Dear Rescue Ranger, Recently married, getting used to living with someone and boy there are there lots of differences between men and women. Don’t misunderstand, marriage is great and we are very happy. It is just that sometimes she tells me things but means something else.

Jay in Jerome Dear JJ, One of the biggest differences between men and women is that if a woman says “Smell this”, it usually smells nice.

Dear Rescue Ranger, I hope you are taking all the precautions necessary to stay safe during this COVID 19 virus outbreak.

Everyone hear is taking serious the social distancing and only going out as necessary. I wear a surgical mask most of the time at work. How about you?

PPE in Pittslyvania Dear Al, I was following every instruction—to go to the grocery store, they said a mask and gloves were enough...they lied..everybody else had clothes on!

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Dear Rescue Ranger, I know you grew up in the 60’s/70’s when things were a lot different. Curious, did you every experiment with drugs?

BoBo Boo Dear Boo, I don’t do drugs and never did. These days I get the same effect by standing up too fast!

Dear Rescue Ranger, I had a call the other day and the patient had no pain, vitals were within normal limits but had violent diarrhea. We treated for dehydration and transported gently to the closest hospital. I never did find out what caused the condition.

Disinfecting in Danville Dear Bruce, It has been my experience that most diarrhea is hereditary—I mean, it runs in your jeans.

Dear Rescue Ranger, How is that weight loss going?

Kathy Dear Cindy, I got excited the other day—I thought I was losing weight, but it turned out my sweatpants came untied!

Dear Rescue Ranger, I have been an instructor in Search and Rescue for a long time. I have given many students advice on systematic procedures in locating the lost and I have found it very satisfying. Also, it feels good when new members ask me for advice. How about you.

S&R Expert in Cave Spring Dear Bob, My advice—If you get lost in the woods, find a possum, follow it. You will be in the middle of a road in no time!

Dear Rescue Ranger, I am a new EMT. First call I go on was a cardiac arrest and we had to use an AED. The machine detected a shockable rhythm but would not charge.

We were able to revive the patient with some excellent CPR. The patient recovered just fine. We had to report the failed AED to the authorities.

Really scared me and I realize we depend greatly on our equipment but we need to depend on our skills and training on every call.

NREMT Dear Sheila E, It’s very rare that a defibrillator fails. But when it happens no one is shocked.

Thought for the day: I thought the dryer made my clothes shrink. Turns out it was the refrigerator!

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PO Box 279 2535 Turkey Creek Road Oilville, VA 23129 ISSN 0279-6023

NON-PROFIT ORGAN..

U.S.POSTAGE PAID WOODSTOCK, VA PERMIT NO. 82

Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads, Inc.

Phone: 804-749-8191 Phone: 800-833-0602 Fax: 804-749-8910 E-mail: vavrs@vavrs.com

"Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends."

John 15:13

VAVRS - IMPORTANT DATES Articles for 3rd Quarter VIRGINIA LIFELINE Due June 15, 2020 EMS Week May 17 – 23, 2020 National EMS Memorial Service May 16, 2020 – dates/times TBA Gaylord National Resort, Oxon Hill MD VAVRS Rescue College June 12-21, 2020--Virginia Tech First Responder Virginia 2020 VAVRS/VSFA Conference and Convention September 23-26, 2020 – Virginia Beach Convention Center Virginia EMS Symposium November 10-15, 2020 – Norfolk VAVRS Life Member and Hall of Fame Applications Must be submitted by March 1, 2021 VAVRS Life Member/Hall of Fame Committee P O Box 279 Oilville, VA 23129