Lifeline jan feb 2014

VIRGINIA LIFELINE 2014 JANUARY / FEBRUARY

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2014 Rescue College is Right Around the Corner Submitted by Rickey Hodge, VAVRS President Now is the time to start making plans for June 7-15 for the 39th Annual Rescue College at Va. Tech.

There are many classes that are offered and many Instructor Classes. You must have an in-date Pretest in order to take an Instructor Class. The Course Coordinators of the perspective programs administer those to you. We offer a lot of Medical classes such as ACLS, PALS, AMLS, GEMS, PHTLS as well as the Tactical Medic Class. These are all AHA Classes taught by

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Davis EMS. There is a one-time Administrative fee of 50.00 to take one or as many classes you want to take. There really is not a better deal out there for these classes.

One class that I feel EVERY Chief, Captain, Director or whatever you refer to the person that runs your Squad or Agency is the Leadership Challenge. Since Conference we have had one Squad shut down and we have another that is ready to be shut down. We have a Volunteer Management Team standing ready to come meet with your Squad to assist.

We have Past Presidents,

Current Directors of Agencies that are ready to drop whatever they are doing to come help.

It takes about a year of hard work from the Committee Members to pull this College off. These Members come and stay for 9 days and work many hours to make Rescue College what it is now.

So take some time and look at the Brochure that is online and if you have ANY questions, don’t hesitate to contact the State Office, Your District Vice President, myself or CoChair Wayne Myers.

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For a complete list of the current courses being offered by the VAVRS—go to www.vavrs.com

VAVRS Officers

THE VIRGINIA LIFELINE ISSN 0279-6023 is the official bimonthly publication of the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads, Inc.

President Rickey Hodge Vice President Connie Moore Secretary Scott Davis Treasurer Steve Grayson Training Officer Cecil Leach Chaplain Darleen Ferguson Historian Dreama Chandler Editor Gary Dalton Immediate Past President Edward B. Bish Jr. Legal Advisor S. Craig Lane Medical Advisor

James R. Dudley, MD, MBA

Parliamentarian Lobbyist Office Manager

J. C. Phillips

Ed Rhodes Frances Brooks

Training Coordinator Kathy Eubank Administrative Secretary

Editorial material should be sent directly to the VAVRS Editor at P O Box 522 Woodstock, VA 22664 (H) 540-459-4849 (W) 540-536-2758 (FAX) 540-459-4925 (C) 540-481-0125 Email-gdalton@vavrs.com

Shirley Bagby

District 1 V. P. Steve Southworth District 2 V. P. Carolyn White District 3 V. P. Kenny Frenier District 4 V. P. Gary Dalton District 5 V. P. L. Frank Smith

Requests for advertising rates, material specifications and deadlines should be directed to the Editor.

District 6 V. P. Doug Adams District 7 V. P. Coby Fizer District 8 V. P. Steven Reynolds

VAJVRS Officers President Cora Fearnow

District 9 V. P. Darrell Beavers

President - Sharon Campbell

District 10 V. P. George Langford

Vice President - Harry Householder Secretary - Dolores Hudson

Vice President Emily Snyder

Treasurer - Patsy Wingfield

Secretary/Treasurer Elizabeth Pittman

Chaplain - Ailease Short

Chaplain Montana Looney

Historian - Linda Berkstresser

Historian Danielle McCormick

Parliamentarian - Maxie Skeen

District 1 V. P. Emily Snyder

Immediate Past President - Fern Puckett

District 3 V. P. Cora Fearnow

Midwestern VP - Nancy Linkous

Advisor, Chair Alfred Smith

Northeastern VP - Debbie Smallwood

Advisor Woody T. Connor

Southcentral VP - Clara Craig

Advisor Brandon Baugus

Southeastern VP - Fay Browning

Advisor Woody Connor

Southwestern VP - Valarie Becker

Advisor Micky Grodski

Western VP - Debbie Rohr

Advisor Steve Dove Official

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VAVRS Committee Chairs Nominating: Bruce Stratton Membership: Connie Moore Human Resources: Connie Moore Life Membership: Ronnie Slough By-Laws: Bruce Edwards Rescue Hall of Fame: Ford Wirt Lifeline: Gary Dalton Conference: Ford Wirt Camporee: Ronnie Slough Finance: Steve Grayson Rescue College Co-Chair: Wayne Myers Rescue College Chair: Rickey Hodge EMS Advisory Board: Dreama Chandler EMS Advisory Board: Wayne Myers Strategic Planning: Karen Wagner New Course Development: Wayne Myers Scholarship: Carolyn Brand EMS Memorial: Kevin Dillard Recruitment and Retention Chair: Fran Phillips Recruitment and Retention Co-Chair: Bobby Hill Volunteer Management: A. Page Entsminger EMS Exchange Program: Jane Laverne Grant: Elizabeth Papelino Facility Manager: Lin Matthews Legislative Chair: Dreama Chandler Legislative Co-Chair: Edward B. "Bubby" Bish Jr. VRSAWG Chair: Bruce Edwards VRSAWG Co-Chair: Gary Dalton VRSAWG Co-Chair: Karen Wagner Web Page: Gary Dalton

Deadline for the Upcoming Issues of the LIFELINE

AVAVRS Committee Chairs

Articles may be submitted by any member of the VAVRS, AVAVRS and VAJVRS. Feature articles are encouraged. Photos and/or Graphics are acceptable and can be returned if requested. Contact the Editor if you need assistance in writing an article at gdalton@vavrs.com

Conference Chair: Vickie Arnold Conference Co-Chair: Sheila Gordon Nominating Comm. Chair: Ruth Swicegood Life Membership Chair: Carolyn Brand Emergency Care Chair: Laura Booze Resolutions Comm. Chair: Maxie Skeen Membership Chair: Harry Householder Finance Comm. Chair: Patsy Wingfield Roll Call Chair: Donna Porter Roll Call Co-Chair: Valarie Becker Fundraising Chair: Stacey Frame

Deadline for future issues as follows: February 10, 2013 for March/April Issue April 10, 2013 for May/June Issue June 10, 2013 for July/August Issue August 10, 2013 for September/October Issue Page

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Gifts for Everyone—Cave Spring Auxiliary Submitted by Sharon Karlet Campbell, President-Cave Spring Auxiliary

for the auxiliary to celebrate the evening,

We tried to take it easy after our Annual Fall Chicken Barbecue, that project is tiring and time consuming so we always try to take a few weeks off after holding that fund raiser.

November 8th, we fixed a pregame meal for the Cave Spring High School football team. We always enjoy this project because we just cook and a team mother then comes to the crew hall to pick up the food and they serve it. We do get a lot of PR as they announce during the game that we have provided the meal for the team and our name is also in the program. On the 10th, we fixed dinner for the crew prior to their elections. We served BBQ, macaroni and cheese, beans, salad and a variety of desserts. We had a really large crowd and had very few leftovers.

Once again the Auxiliary sent out the invitations, worked with the hotel on the menu and hired a DJ for the Crew Holiday Party which was held on December 7th. Life member, Bill Duff installed the incoming officers for the Crew and Auxiliary. We always present the crew with gifts during the event and this year we gave them 4 BP cuffs, 4 stethoscopes and a check for $2,000.00 for the ambulance fund. We also have on order embroidered blankets for each member of the crew and auxiliary as well as all Life and Honorary members. These blankets will be given out at the January meeting and the embroidery will say, Serving in the Cave Spring Community since 1958.

The Auxiliary members contributed snacks, protein bars, hand warmers, etc. to be sent to Sharon’s grandson and his platoon in Afghanistan. I am sure they will enjoy the thoughts as well as the goodies from home. We also hope to make Christmas a little brighter for a local mother and her two children. One little girl is 18 months old and her sister is 4. Mom is a single parent and considered homeless. We are giving them winter coats, shoes, clothes and of course Santa is taking care of the toys.

Old man winter has raised his head and those who know me know I do not like cold weather. Hopefully we will have a short winter and spring flowers will soon be blooming.

To each of you, the members of the Cave Spring Auxiliary wish you a safe and prosperous New Year and we hope to see you soon.

On the 20th of November, the Auxiliary held their elections which were conducted by Chief Ethan Dressler. Elected to serve for 2014 were: Sharon Campbell, President; Vickie Arnold, Vice President; Patsy Wingfield, Treasurer; Angie Williams, Secretary and Brenda Clark, Historian. Culver Bennett has been appointed as Chaplain. The crew had a cake Official

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RECRUITMENT & RETENTION COMMITTEE Submitted by Fran Phillips, Chair

RESCUE COLLEGE

TRAINING Having a line item in your budget to pay for Training is an excellent way to say “Thank YOU” to your members. Places to receive training through the VAVRS are very diverse. Below are a few examples of training opportunities across the state.

Rescue College is held each year in Blacksburg on the Virginia Tech campus. There are 43 Basic classes, 2 youth

DISTRICT MEETINGS

classes and 14 instructor classes available over an eightday period. You must register

by April 14th and pay a $50.00 nonrefundable fee. I am involved with two of the classes taught.

Most Districts have a training class for CEU’s before their District meetings. Some Districts have Training Weekends yearly. One of the Districts has a “Rescue Camp” for its young people in the community which is a great PR utilization for both the squad and community.

The Parliamentarian Class is changed each year to attract individuals who wish to become a leader in their squad. The Auxiliary Management Class also changes subject matter each year to be able to teach all aspects of being a vibrant Auxiliary leader. Many Senior Squad leaders come to the

class to find out what an Auxiliary does and/or how to start their own Auxiliary.

Each of these classes is leadership driven and has hands on breakout sessions.

CONFERENCE Starting on Tuesday of Conference Week there will be 16 seminars with ALS and BLS CEU credits available.

There are many ways to say “Thank You” to your members.

Training is an excellent way to benefit your squad and your membership.

Upcoming Grant Opportunities

Upcoming Grant Opportunities March 14th 2014 – Firehouse Subs Due March 17th 2014 – RSAF Due

Upcoming Grant Classes January 11th, 2014 - District 5 February 1st, 2014 - District 3 Sign up on the VAVRS web page.

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From the VAVRS Chaplain To: All Squads From: Darleen Ferguson, VAVRS Chaplain RE: Death Benefit Plan Is Your Squad In The Death Benefit Plan ????

District 1 = (52) Squads ----- Only (10) Squads are in the Plan District 2 = (29) Squads ----- Only (4) Squads are in the Plan District 3 = (34) Squads ----- Only (10) Squads are in the Plan District 4 = (20) Squads ----- Only (6) Squads are in the Plan District 5 = (49) Squads ----- Only (12) Squads are in the Plan District 6 = (30) Squads ----- Only (12) Squads are in the Plan District 7 = (26) Squads ----- Only (8) Squads are in the Plan District 8 = (17) Squads ----- Only (1) Squad is in the Plan District 9 = (27) Squads ----- Only (9) Squads are in the Plan District 10 + (27) Squads ----- Only (9) Squads are in the Plan E-Mail, Call or Fax the State Office for the answer.

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

Grant Writing Tips and Upcoming Grant Opportunities

Grant Writing Tip 1) Gather the eight basic supporting documents below and keep them in an easily accessible file (so that even if you leave, others in your agency will be able to find them).

2) Set up an annually repeating calendar entry to automatically remind you (and perhaps your Vice-President or other officer) to update these documents: - IRS 501(c)3 letter

- IRS 990

- Audited financial statements

- List of board members

- Annual operating budget

- Project budget

- Letters of support

- Bylaws

After you get these eight documents in place and up to date, you'll be ahead of the game.

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Submitted by Sharon Campbell, AVAVRS President Oh, the places I have gone…..I have been lucky enough to have been able to travel to almost each district meeting in the last few months. The only meeting I was unable to attend was the Northeastern District meeting but VP Harry Householder was there and I understand that there was a big crowd and a good meeting was held. I attended the Southwestern District meeting in Glade Spring where Diane Haga had the honor of installing the 2013-14 officers.

Then it was on to the Southcentral District meeting hosted by the Campbell County Auxiliary. November 1st and 2nd, I attended the VAVRS workshop and Executive Board

to install their officers. meetings in Oilville where we were served lunch by members of the Staunton Augusta Auxiliary, and then I traveled on the 3rd to Bridgewater for the Western District meeting.

November 16th saw me t attending the Midwestern District meeting hosted by one of our new auxiliaries, Newport.

The next morning I left home early to go to East Hanover for the Southeastern District meeting where I was honored

As you can tell, I may have been traveling around the state but you, as members of the AVAVRS are always there, working hard to provide a good meal and fantastic meetings. I have had delicious meals and marvel at the great cooks we have in this organization. I see a very strict diet in my New Year’s resolutions.

To each of you I wish a wonderful and safe New Year and I look forward to seeing you in the upcoming months.

LifeCare Medical has a need for 2 individuals to fill key full time rolls within our organization at the Corporate Headquarters in Stafford, Va. We are a 20 year old company with multiple locations throughout Virginia going through some tremendous growth and our need for qualified personnel is paramount to that continuing. The following positions are available for immediate occupancy; Director of Operations – This individual will join the Senior Management team in leading all of our facilities in the daily operations of a 7 day a week company.

Marketing Manager – This individual will work closely with key management and sales personnel in promoting our company throughout the state both in person and via electronic methods.

The owners of LifeCare, Kevin Dillard and Dan Wildman, are active in the business each and everyday.

They strive very hard to make sure the company is always moving forward which creates opportunities with existing employees and new applicants looking for a tremendous company to work for.

E-mail your resume to tball@lifecare94.com or complete our on-line employment Application at www.lifecare94.com.

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The 60 Second Parliamentarian Tip

Submitted by J.C. Phillips, VAVRS Parliamentarian What is a "Deliberative Assembly?" Robert's Rules of Order state, "A deliberative assembly - the kind of gathering to which parliamentary law is generally understood to apply..."

A deliberative assembly, "is a group of people, having or assuming freedom to act in concert, meeting to determine, in full and free discussion, course of action to be taken in the name of the entire group."

There are five types of deliberative assemblies, which are as follows: The Mass Meeting This refers to local communities to meet on issues that might effect their community, sometimes referred to as "A Public Hearing." Churches can also hold a mass meeting of their entire membership.

Another example of a deliberative assembly is that the members meet in a single room where all members have the opportunity to speak and voice their own opinions on the subject that is presented to them. They have the right to vote for something, to vote against something and to abstain, unless the bylaws say that the Secretary shall cast a unanimous ballot in an election where there is no opposition to certain offices. Some members do not like for the Secretary to vote for them.

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The Local Assembly of an Organized Society These are meetings of rescue squads, fire departments, closed societies, community clubs, etc.

The Convention Sometimes referred to as a "Conference." These types of the

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meetings have people from different localities that gather together and conduct business that could last for two or more days.

The Legislative Body As you know, these meetings refer to local and state government officials and the United States Congress.

The Board These meetings are held by fewer people than the other types and have the authority to govern as directed by the assembly.

Well That's it. Just thought you might want to know what a deliberative assembly is all about.

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Glade Hill Rescue Squad “In Memory of Daryl Thurman” Submitted by Doug O’Neal, Captain Glade Hill RS It is with great sadness and regret that the members of Glade Hill Volunteer Rescue Squad announce the loss of our friend and fellow squad member Edward Daryl Thurman. “Daryl” as his friends called him, was a lifelong resident of the Glade Hill area.

Daryl passed away at his home on November, 22 2013.

into the squad. Daryl had a heart of gold and his dedication to the Glade Hill Community was unmatched. Even after Daryl suffered life threatening injuries stemming from a car accident in December 2009, he still wanted to lend a hand.

While unable to run calls for the majority of 2010, Daryl continued to attend meetings, fundraisers, and other special

He began his service to the Glade Hill Volunteer Rescue Squad in the 1980’s, where he obtained his EMT Certification.

Daryl held numerous positions within his years of dedicated service to the Glade Hill community. Even after 20 years of service, he routinely spent several nights a week at the rescue squad, helping with the repair of equipment, training new members, and serving as a mentor to the entire organization.

Daryl was a wealth of knowledge to our members. He amassed a great respect among them as he carried on the values we try to instill in our members and our community.

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events with the squad to help out in any way he could. It was no surprise that when Daryl’s name came up for Life Membership what the vote would be. It was a unanimous decision. In December of 2012 the members of Glade Hill were

proud to honor Daryl with a Commendation for Emergency Service, for his role over the years to assist in the saving of numerous lives in and around the Glade Hill community. That night Daryl was also given his badge and certificate making him a Life Member of Glade Hill Rescue Squad.

To those of us who work and volunteer in fire and rescue family seems to take on a whole new meaning. Daryl was not only a good friend; he was family.

He was the kind of family that was faithful to his Squad, his family, and his community as a volunteer. He served with compassion and extreme dedication to the ideals of the Rescue Squad. Daryl’s wife Kim, son Patrick (PJ), and daughter Brittney all followed his footsteps and joined the Rescue Squad. We were fortunate to watch his family grow alongside us as we all shared in the joy that comes from being in the Rescue Squad.

We are all thankful for the time that we had to spend with Daryl, and he will be missed.

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Staunton-Augusta First Aid and Rescue Squad The first meeting of the Staunton Rescue Squad was held in 1934, and consisted of volunteer firemen from the Staunton Fire Department who had decided that they wanted to respond to emergency calls for help. That same year Dr. Fulton taught the first “First Aid” class. Once trained the volunteers voted to purchase a used panel truck with a stretcher, a first aid kit and several blankets. Soon after they were approached by the City of Staunton and asked if they would use their truck to transport city employees and welfare recipients to the hospital. During the “War years” of 1939-1945, Dr. Boyd Payne took over teaching the First Aid classes. As time passed they began responding to motor vehicle crashes and then broadened their responses to more emergency calls for help. During that period of time we were known as the Staunton Rescue Squad.

By 1940 the squad answered about 20 calls a month and added additional panel trucks to their fleet. The City of Staunton equipped each truck with a stretcher, a few first aid supplies, sheets, and blankets. They continued to use panel trucks until 1956 when they purchased a used 1955 Cadillac, which cost about $5,200.00.

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In 1944, Staunton-Augusta joined the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squad.

Being members of the VAVRS has opened many doors for our agency. We have had members who were instrumental in the development of VAVRS classes such as Vehicle Extrication, Farm Machinery Extrication, and Bus Extrication just to name a few. Those members continue to support those programs as they travel to teach across the state and in Canada as Instructors and Instructor Trainers.

Staunton Augusta has always been very active at both the district and state level within the VAVRS. We have had several members who have served as the VAVRS District I Vice President and one member served as the State President. Five Staunton -Augusta members have been granted the most prestigious honor of Life Membership to the VAVRS. Our home remained within the walls of the Staunton Fire Department for many years and in the mid 60’s lot of land at 1601 North Coalter Street was donated to us with the intention of building a rescue squad. In 1966, a letter was drafted and presented to the City of Staunton asking VAVRS

permission to separate from the Staunton Fire Department.

Permission was granted and soon after that, on June 26th 1967 the squad’s charter was filed and we officially became the Staunton-Augusta First Aid and Rescue Squad Inc. On August 7th 1967, groundbreaking took place for what is our current home, with our building officially opening in July of 1968.

Another chapter in our history books was made in 1968 when the “Ladies Auxiliary” to the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad was formed. As they celebrate more than 45 years of supporting our agency, many things have changed for them also. In early days only wives and mothers of squad members were allowed to become members. Today they are known as the “Auxiliary”, changing their name to allow men to and they changed their by-laws to allow community citizens to join who do not have any familial ties to the squad.

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75 Years of Accomplishing Our Mission Even then the women were not allowed to be at the building past midnight.

These changes have spawned both growth and strength within the organization.

Participation in the annual Convention/Conference is a long standing tradition of our agency. In the late 1970’s our First Aid team the won first place in that Competition, the first trophy of that caliber to ever come back to Staunton.

Those gentlemen made a mark in our history and lead the pack as that trophy was the first of many first place trophies that we would receive over the next 69 years. We have been honored as the recipients of the VAVRS “Squad of the Year” and “Junior Squad of the Year” numerous times over the years. These awards reflect who we are and what we have done as an agency and, more importantly, what we do within our community to serve our neighbors.

In the early 90’s a group of members with a vision all of its own, developed a community outreach program that would forever change our organization. “Sam the Safety -Saurus" was born. Sam is our life-size green dinosaur mascot who provides a safety program that targets children between the ages of three and five years, however people of all ages, young and old, enjoy his friendliness. Sam has his own line of coloring books, stickers, and balloons which teach children about bike safety and the importance of always wearing a seatbelt when in a vehicle. Sam and his friends also cover school bus safety,

poisons, and when to dial 911.

Sam is a huge asset to our agency and the community we serve.

By 1998, we were bulging out of the walls of our current building and a committee was formed to look at a possible renovation. The decision was made and the plans included the addition of vehicle bays and a conference room and upgrades to the bunkrooms.

The renovation also allowed expansion of our very small kitchen, storage, and our training room. It was decided to launch a capital campaign which raised over 1 million dollars toward the cost.

For decades our only fund raising event was a community (Continued on page 18)

The organization remained a male only organization until 1980 when the first female application was presented and accepted by the membership.

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based “Fund Drive”. Our event received live radio coverage of performances such as local bands, church groups and school bands in addition to a bucket drive at multiple intersections throughout the city. Our entire organization would participate and every member had a vital role in reaching our operational goal.

That chapter came to a close when, after many discussions, disagreements, and tears, we decided to adopt a Revenue Recovery program. After listening to several EMS billing companies, SARS decided to go with a locally owned company.

A year later Staunton-Augusta purchased the business and it was named Emergency Services Support, LLC. Within another year the Waynesboro First Aid Crew came on board and purchased 50% of the business and we continue to share a

partnership like no other in the state.

With the increase in calls and our no response or delayed response times becoming unacceptable to our standards we once again were faced with a difficult decision. As the revenue recovery program was coming to light, it was obvious to us that the inevitable needed to occur and that it was time to hire career staff to supplement our volunteer members. Being the pioneers that we are, our staff was hired and managed by our agency, and continues to be so today.

As you can see, many, many things have changed since our conception 75

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years ago. Countless faces of members have come and gone…..and others have remained for decades.

Thousands and thousands of calls for help have been answered with our members touching lives every time the wheels turn. Many life changing events have happened and lifelong friendships have been made. Through all of these changes there is one thing that remains the same…..the mission statement our forefathers established is the exact same mission we stand behind today: “To provide the best pre-hospital care to the citizens of Staunton and surrounding Augusta County”.

Please take the time and visit our website at www.stauntonrescue.org, click the tab About then History to view our 75th Anniversary video.

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From the VAVRS President Submitted by Rickey Hodge, VAVRS President Wow !!! What a first three months it has been to serve as your President. I have attended many district meetings, many meetings in Richmond as well and many more the month of December and into January. We had an Officer Workshop just prior to the November Executive Committee Meeting in Oilville.

It proved to be a very good meeting as we have new officers and many not knowing their job descriptions. It is hard to get results when the people are unsure what is expected. Many thanks to Gary Dalton and Karen Wagner as they spent a great deal of time making a presentation that would require input from the Officers and Committee Chairs in attendance. We had several Past Presidents in attendance

and that as well proved very beneficial. The VAJVRS Officers and their Advisors also had a workshop on the same night. The following day we had the Executive Committee meeting and we had a great meeting. Under new Page

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business, I brought up the survey we had at the conclusion of the Conference. We have decided that we will have a raffle next year with all 10 Districts and the VAJVRS assisting in the sale of these tickets. The tickets will cost One Dollar each. You can buy a book of 12 for $10 Dollars. We will sell these tickets all year and on Saturday Night at the Awards Ceremony/Memorial Service, we will have the drawing. We are going to give away 20-$500 cash prizes.

That’s $10,000.00 in cash that night. You do not have to be present to win. This is going to

help YOUR ASSOCIATION offset cost of the Conference and prevent us from raising the registration fee. The tickets will be ready in January as Kevin Dillard has agreed to pay for the printing of the tickets.

Thank you Kevin. Speaking of Kevin, he has been ill during the month of December and I hope by the time this is printed that he is feeling much better. One thing that I have learned over the years is that you must ask Past Presidents and Life Members for advice. There is a lot of valued leadership and

VAVRS President Rickey Hodge presiding over his first meeting –September, 2013 Photo by Alfred Smith, VAJVRS Advisor knowledge out there and I so appreciate it. During the Executive Committee Meeting, the Auxiliary from Staunton – Augusta Rescue Squad prepared an awesome lunch for all of us at no cost. A big thank you to them.

Now getting back to the 80th Conference, we have made some key changes. One will be will offer for the first time a Farm Machinery Class and a HTR School Bus Class. These will be before competitions that begin on Thursday. And on Thursday at 4PM until 7PM we will have a FREE Cookout for everyone—Members and Families. We want to have more events for families and save you all money.

I will close with hoping you all had a very Merry Christmas and that the New Year will be great for you as well.

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Call of the Quarter District One CALL OF THE QUARTER Dispatched for a 72 y/o male unresponsive and breathing.

For a busy agency this is an everyday call, but this story goes a little different.

It’s a few minutes after midnight on the Saturday night “D” crew. We have ran our typical OB emergency and general illness calls and thinking that would be all that we would have for the rest of the night, but we were wrong.

At 00:04 we get toned for the unresponsive male and we notice that the address is less than a mile away from our building. We jump in the truck and mark up “ECC Rescue 67 responding”. We approach the scene where a woman is flagging us down like she was landing a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier. This was our first sign that this was going to be anything but normal. As we park the unit we notice a couple of Texas Longhorn cattle standing in the yard. The gate to the barnyard is wide open.

In a wild voice the woman yells at all the cattle to “get back” and tells us “He’s up near the barn!”. We grab our equipment Official

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from the unit, take a deep breath and away we go.

As we make our way to the barn, we realize no one brought a flashlight. The animals that we saw so clearly in the headlights are now silhouettes.

Living in a rural community it’s not unusual to run a call where people have animals such as horses, cows, pigs, ducks and chickens. The unusual part is where we have Texas Longhorn cattle parading all around us, looking on ever so curiously.

With every step we take we have a quarter ton animal with sharp horns taking it along side of us within an arms reach.

Under the cover of darkness we yell out, “where are you?” A female voice answers back, “behind the cattle trailer.”

We made our way to the trailer with the aid of the moonlight and our barnyard friends. At the back of the trailer we find a female doing CPR on a gentleman in his 70’s. She stated they had just came back from a cattle show in Pennsylvania when her father alerted her that he was feeling VAVRS

dizzy just before he collapsed.

They had been in the process of unloading their longhorns off the trailer when he went down.

The barnyard was a mess, it had rained most all day and there was at least 3-4 inches of mud and probably even natural fertilizer that we had to contend with. We propped open the gate to the trailer and placed our equipment in the back to protect it from being ruined from the mud and other natural things you would find in a barnyard.

We placed an oral adjunct and began BVM ventilations and relieved the daughter to chest compressions and began to work a code. Defibrillation pads were applied and after the first round of CPR was completed we hit “analyze” and to our surprise we hear “ shock advised”. We delivered the shock and continued with high quality CPR. Prior to the second round of CPR being completed more help started to arrive.

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showcased the cattle standing over us watching our every move. A second shock was not indicated but a pulse check sure was. We had both a carotid and radial, which were both strong and bounding.

With the help of additional resources we were able to get the patient on the stretcher and make our way back to the unit while continuing to ventilate the patient via BVM. Once in the unit we were able to obtain a set of vitals which revealed a pulse of 112, BP of 133/103 and O2 saturation of 98%.

A medic from Augusta County Fire and Rescue arrived and jumped on board and away we went to Augusta Health. The

patient continued to improve during transport without any advanced life support interventions. The oral airway was removed when the patient began to breathe on his own.

Upon arrival at the Emergency Department our care and report was turned over to the waiting staff.

We usually never hear the outcome of the citizens that we take care of but this one was different. The family kept in touch and we knew the patient was sent to University of Virginia for a higher level of care. After spending 6 days there he received an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) device and was released and walked out of the

hospital neurologically intact.

The patient is back working on the farm and showing his prized longhorns. It was 28 since this call when the family arrived at the squad bearing a homemade chocolate cake, a heartfelt thank you for “doing your job perfectly” and bought the crew dinner at a local restaurant.

Submitted by: Justin Strader, EMT-B, Stuarts Draft RS.

Crew Members: Justin Strader Bobby Snyder CT Cash

Friendship Submitted by Ailease Short, AVAVRS Chaplain I surely hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday season as you enjoyed time with your family and friends. Within your individual squad families, I hope you had a little time for fellowship while spending your many hours volunteering to help others! There are so many people out there that depend on our Rescue Squad people in their times of need! Thanks for all each of you do.

Since conference in September, we have lost three members in the AVAVRS: Page

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Josephine House of Danville, Patricia Jones of West End, and Evelyn Persinger of Clifton Forge.

I have sent several sympathy, get well, and thinking of you cards since convention.

Remember to let me know if you have anyone in your local auxiliaries that need a card.

As Helen Steiner Rice said in her poem:

When you ask God for a gift, Be thankful if He sends Not diamonds, pearls and riches But the love of real true friends!

“Happy New Year to each of you and I hope each of you the best of everything in 2014.”

November/December

2013

The Legislative Attic Submitted by Ed Rhodes In beginning my article, the last one for this year, leaves are continuously falling from the trees with help from the wind and I will try to move them to curbside. Of course, Grandson will help move them back to the yard. The next day is supposed to be windy and cold with rain forthcoming during the week. When I came back to finish the article, it was a cold rain, possibility of snow, and my car cover is frozen to the car, about a twoweek difference in writing. As I get ready to send this to the editor (late as usual), the cover is still frozen to the car....................

If you remember the last article, I mentioned the new picture with the crutch in it.

Well, the crutch is gone, not in the picture and if you look closely at the computer screen you seen three of my four helpers.

Carol and I were invited in October to the annual Awards Banquet at Glasgow Life Saving Crew where they had asked me to speak. A very enjoyable time and we certainly appreciated their hospitality. From there, we went to Wintergreen for the District 1 meeting.

We also attended the District 6 meeting in November and we thank Doug Adams for inviting us and to Vinton Rescue Squad Official

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for a great meal. Finally, we went to the District 3 meeting, also in November, at Henrico Rescue Squad and we thank them for their hospitality.

In early December, I also had the privilege to make a presentation to the Recruitment and Retention Network at their meeting in Ashland, VA. Lots of good questions, suggestions and comments from the members.

As you can see from the picture, Dr. Bill Hazel, Secretary of Health for Virginia, received his Honorary Membership in VAVRS in late October. The award was presented by Past President Bubby Bish, Vice President Connie Moore, and Ed Rhodes on behalf of the VAVRS. Dr. Hazel was definitely surprised as his staff kept the truth of the visit from him. He thought we were going to talk about EMS funding. As he said later - "You really got me".

At this writing, still no word on the regulatory changes concerning the pharmacy legislation and recertification waiver legislation. We have been fortunate to have legislators write and make contact with the Governor's office, one more that once. I thank everyone who has written to the Governor's office asking that he sign the recertification VAVRS

The “Real� Attic regulation prior to December 31st.

Transition teams for the new administration are being put together to develop policy for the new Governor's staff, secretariats, and so forth.

VAVRS is involved with these teams. Many of these members have already been picked and meetings have begun. They have until about December 26th to come up with their ideas and proposals.

In the cycle of legislative issues, from now until Christmas and beyond will be filled with meetings, finishing drafting and amending legislation, reviewing legislation and more meetings. Meetings have taken place with the Secretary of Public Safety, Senate Finance analysts in budget discussions, the EMS organizations have met with House Appropriations staff on $4 for Life funding, Some other meetings scheduled for the future are the Fire Services Council Page

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Legislative Summit meeting on December 12th along with another stakeholders meeting, talking with legislators and so on. We will be meeting with the new Chairman of House Appropriations prior to the start of the session.

January 8th is the official start of the 2014 session, but for VAVRS officers and I it will start before then. The leadership of VAVRS, AVAVRS and the VAJVRS will be visiting the Capital in mid January to meet with legislators on EMS/ VAVRS issues. This is the "long" session, so it will last until sometime in March, hopefully.

The top item on the VAVRS agenda for legislation is the Line of Duty Act. We have a bill ready to go with a funding stream and have been talking it up in visits to districts. The Line of Duty bill already has two patrons in the Senate and one in the House. The incoming governor is fully aware of our stance in this arena of protecting our members. Work continues on getting the language correct, even has this final draft is being put to bed, I have been switching back and forth in answering questions from Legislative Services.

We also have the EMS clarification bill in the works and it is still in the editing room of legislative services.

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VAVRS Honorary Membership presented to Dr. William A. Hazel Jr., MD. L-R: Ed Rhodes, VAVRS Lobbyist, Dr. Hazel, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Connie Moore, VAVRS Vice President and Edward “Bubby� Bish, VAVRS Immediate Past President.

money that is going to the General Fund. Well, the money committees have decided to return the interest to those agencies that lost it. Not all of it over the last 6 years, but starting in July 2015. The stakeholders decided not to pursue budget amendments for fear that it may hurt chances to get the OEMS and VDFP funds back. We will pursue budgetary work for Line of Duty. We will also be watching to see if any attempts are made on the $4 for Life funding to be taken and moved to fund the Poison Control Centers.

There has been legislation (H.R. 3685/S. 1798) introduced in Congress by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and others to repeal the portion of the Affordable Care Act that affects volunteer fire and EMS from their agencies being

required to offer health insurance. You can check the NVFC, IAFC or CFSI websites for further information. Maybe our letters helped - so now again in support of Senator Warner's legislation, letters need to be written to your representatives in Congress.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Public Safety Memorial will be January 3rd at 2 pm in front of the General Assembly Building. The invitation should be on the VAVRS website. If available, make every effort to attend.

A lot of material has been covered in this article in a very short time frame. Please do not hesitate to contact Bubby Bish, Dreama Chandler or myself if you have any questions.

I hope that everyone has a Happy Holiday Season and best wishes to all.

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2013

Announcing New Digs for Chancellor Vol. Fire & Rescue’s Station 5 Submitted by Sara Hunt, Senior Public Relations Manager A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Oct. 8 for the new headquarters of Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue’s Station 5, which will be located at 6204 Plank Road in Fredericksburg. Full construction will begin in

Board of Supervisors member, Chief Fred Broccolo, Chief Jay Cullinan and a project contractor.

Spring 2014 with a projected completion in Spring 2015. “We are very excited about being able to serve the citizens of Spotsylvania County from our organization’s new home on almost five acres of land,” said Kevin Dillard, Administrative Chief of CVFR. Pictured from left to right are: Chief Scott Hechler. Chief Kevin Dillard, a

Pictured from left to right are: Chief Scott Hechler, Chief Kevin Dillard, a Board of Supervisors member, Chief Fred Broccolo, Chief Jay Cullinan and a project contractor.

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Colonial Beach VRS Support Team Lends Helping Hands Submitted by Sara Hunt, Senior Public Relations Manager The Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad’s Support Team serves as a valuable resource of experience to the squad and also assists with many squad projects throughout the year.

In early December, the Support Team conducted a successful exhibit of local vendors, which is a big fundraiser for the squad. Also, the Support Team always assists and participates in the Christmas on Town Hill event and the lighted Boat Parade on Dec. 7. “Our Support Team of auxiliary members is so important to the success of our squad’s activities,” said Wesley Melson, CBVRS Rescue Chief.

Pictured from left to right are Barry Melson, Kim Melson, Betty Dickerson, Debbie Guest, Pam Stinson, Val Ivanshyn, Diane Anderson and Andy Anderson.

Scouting for Badges with Colonial Beach VRS Also submitted by Sara Hunt

Pictured from left to right are Brayden Street, Brady Melson, Luke McMahan, Shane Alford and Jacob Reynolds.

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Cub Scout Pack #258 recently

toured the Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad station, where they learned life-saving first aid skills and also practiced Hands-Only CPR by squad members.

“The scouts had to visit an important local building as part of their badge requirement, and we were very proud that our station house was selected,” said Wesley Melson, CBVRS Rescue Chief.

The tour was led by Assistant Chief Pat FitzGerald and Lt. Danny Stinson, who are CBVRS officers.

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2013

Local Rescue Squad Takes Delivery of a Top Notch Ambulance—Manchester Vol. Rescue Squad Submitted by David Bulman, NREMT-P, Public Relations Officer for Manchester VRS Chesterfield, VA - For 59 years, Manchester Volunteer Rescue Squad (MVRS) has been providing Emergency Medical Services for the citizens in Chesterfield County. Today they are pleased to announce the delivery of their newest member of their fleet, a 2013 Ford F450 Super Duty Type 1

ambulance. This “Next Generation of Ambulance” brings improvements that provide more efficient patient care and higher safety standards for the EMS crews treating their patients .

The newest feature is the 4x4 Chassis. This allows the ambulance and its crew to respond to calls in terrains not accessible by standard vehicles. Currently if an ambulance cannot reach an emergency due to terrain or Official

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weather conditions, a 4 wheel drive utility vehicle is sent to assist, prolonging the time to reach and treat the patient.

Additional upgrades include the complete LED lighting package and reflective chevrons on the rear features. This provides higher visibility when responding to calls, parked on scene or standing on the side of the roadways. Another new feature is the new Whelen Howler siren. This siren sends a low frequency tone through a speaker mounted on the front of the ambulance. The sound penetrates through the vehicles and alerts the passengers of its approach.

This kind of siren is ideal when ambulances are responding through large intersections, heavy traffic roadways, and high ambient noise conditions.

Another first for the Rescue Squad and Chesterfield County is the installation of the Zoll Road Safety System. The Road Safety System will provide real VAVRS

time feedback and monitor individual performance to detect aggressive cornering, hard braking, excessive acceleration, speeding, and seat belt usage. This system was not installed just to monitor these behaviors but to also allow us to reward and coach drivers on their performance behind the wheel.

As you step inside of the ambulance you will find that MVRS continued to upgrade safety and other features.

The patient compartment, that would normally be illuminated by warm bulbs, is now equipped with LED lights. This simple switch to LED will help keep

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Local Rescue Squad Takes Delivery of a Top Notch Ambulance—Manchester Vol. Rescue Squad

the patient compartment cooler and allow for a brighter patient compartment for the patient care providers. To improve safe lifting of patients, the ambulance is now equipped with a Stryker Power Pro stretcher which allows the crew to move the stretcher up and down at a push of a button. This feature will help prevent injuries from improper lifting and allow two people to always lift a stretcher into the ambulance dividing the weight equally. In addition to the Stryker Power

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Pro stretchers, we have also received bariatric equipment for the safe transport of bariatric patients. This larger stretcher has an increased weight capacity in addition to 2 ramps that extend out from the back of the ambulance. A winch is also installed onto the floor of the ambulance to safely pull the larger stretcher up into the ambulance. With the use of this specialized equipment, the safety of the patient and providers will increase greatly and allow better patient care to a diverse population of patients.

Once the patient is secured in the ambulance, Manchester Vol. Rescue Squad makes sure that as you step inside of the ambulance you will find that MVRS continued to upgrade safety and other features. The patient compartment, that would normally be illuminated by warm bulbs, is now equipped with LED lights. This simple switch to LED will help keep the patient compartment cooler and allow for a brighter patient compartment for the patient care providers. To improve safe lifting of patients, the

ambulance is now equipped with a Stryker Power Pro stretcher which allows the crew to move the stretcher up and down at a push of a button. This feature will help prevent injuries from improper lifting and allow two people to always lift a stretcher into the ambulance dividing the weight equally. In addition to the Stryker Power Pro stretchers, we have also received bariatric equipment for the safe transport of bariatric patients. This larger

stretcher has an increased weight capacity in addition to 2 ramps that extend out from the back of the ambulance. A winch is also installed onto the floor of the ambulance to safely pull the larger stretcher up into the ambulance. With the use of this specialized equipment, the safety of the patient and providers will increase greatly and allow better patient care to a diverse population of patients.

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2013

Lakeside Volunteer Rescue Squad Submitted by Andy Inge, Lakeside VRS Operations Officer

climbing ladders and getting up on the roof of our 2-story station affixing these lights to the structure. We decided to go with traditional white LED lights this year and hope to expand our illumination of the squad grounds in years to come.

I would like to submit the attached photos for the next edition of the Virginia Lifeline.

Lakeside VRS is located just a few blocks from Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens which features a GardenFest of Lights. The Lakeside community, as a whole, has always been very festive with its holiday decor, so we wanted to jump on their bandwagon and show our community spirit. This is the first time in my 8 years that Lakeside VRS has decorated the outside of our station for the holidays. Members Ryan Scarbrough & Nick Wieland have spent countless hours in the last 2 weeks

Additionally, the members of Lakeside VRS are sponsoring a family in need this holiday season through the Henrico County Christmas Mother program. We have been very fortunate this year as a squad, increasing our membership from 39 to 60 active members to date; subsequently, our call volume and total member hours have increased as a result. That coupled with our

community as a whole being very supportive of us in both monetary and edible gifts for years, has added to our good fortune in 2013. Therefore, we wanted to be able to give back to a family in our community that might not be as fortunate as we have been. Therefore we "adopted" a family through this

program and our members will be donating funds to ensure that this family has a happy holiday. We encourage other squads in the Commonwealth to do the same.

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Infectious Disease Control Basic and background on infection control and its integration into field EMS…..

Submitted by Karen Wagner, VAVRS IDC Coordinator The training programs of the VAVRS are each designed to help the members of our association meet specific requirements needed in the ever evolving world of field emergency medical services.

The associations training division stays abreast of additions, changes, requirements, regulations and compliance needs when developing and offering each of their training programs.

Infection Control is currently the “hot topic” in EMS and the topic of “THE TRAINING CORNER” for this addition of the LIFELINE….Here is a little

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In 2004, all Virginia EMS licensed agencies were required by the Office of EMS to provide an Infection Control contact for their agency as part of their annual OEMS inspection. It was quickly recognized that many of these contacts had little to no training in the field of infection control, thus exposure risks were not being minimized, nor were the agencies membership being educated appropriately in exposure control practices. In October 2013, the Office of EMS made an addition to the regulation which now requires that the individual who serves as an agency Infection Control Officer must have received

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formal training in infection control through an Office of EMS approved training program…..

Knowing how to protect yourself, your partner and the patients that you transport from the risks of exposure to a communicable disease is one of the first steps in providing good field care. To help assure that providers are trained for these risks the VAVRS now provides two training courses in infection control; Infectious Disease Control (IDC) Basic and Designated Infection Control Officer (DICO) The IDC Basic program presents patient care providers, drivers, and firefighters with information on infection control for field EMS. The course curriculum includes; what laws and safety regulations cover Bloodborne

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Designated Infection Control Officer Courses

Pathogens; describes the diseases that cause the greatest concerns for providers; describes how to prevent disease transmission; describes the necessary steps a provider must complete when or if an exposure occurs; and reviews the Exposure Control Plan for the agency they belong. The VAVRS IDC basic program meets the training standards for employee/ member training as required by OSHA 1910 1030 and VOSH standards. The program is recommended for every member of all EMS licensed agencies. The IDC Basic course is a prerequisite for the DICO course. In 2013 the VAVRS offered a total of 13 IDC Basic classes issuing 255 certifications of completion.

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The Designated Infection Control Officer course provides a thorough review of the OSHA standard 1910 1030 for Bloodborne Pathogens.

Students are taught how to work with health care professionals to help in the determination of an employee exposure, Implementation of various methods of exposure control including: Universal precautions, Engineering and work practice controls, Personal protective equipment, Housekeeping, Hepatitis B vaccination, Post-exposure evaluation and follow-up, Communication of hazards to employees and training, Recordkeeping and Procedures for evaluating circumstances surrounding exposure incidents.

Students are provided with

sample documents and a model Exposure Control Plan that can be tailored to and implemented at their agency to assist in meeting Bloodborne pathogens standards. The VAVRS DICO program is one of two programs currently approved by the Office of EMS as meeting the training standards for Designated Infection Control Officer. In 2013 the VAVRS held 10 classes and issued 247 certifications of completion in the DICO course.

For a complete listing of upcoming classes, how to preregister, and information on all of the VAVRS training programs visit the training link on www.vavrs.com.

November/December

2013

I’m Freezing My Toes Off! Submitted by Harold Good, Southside Virginia Emergency Crew, Petersburg Well, it’s official. Winter is upon us. Time for all those fun things like sledding, snowball fights, snow angels, and other such fun things that fill childhood memories.

Unfortunately, along with all of the fun things comes the risk inherent to dealing with the frostier side of Mother Nature. Exposure can be a severe threat to life or limb, especially to children, the elderly, and the homeless.

With all the recent speculation that this winter could be more severe than we have been used to recently, it seems like a good idea to brush up on our knowledge of the cold-related injuries we may be encountering.

Generally speaking, we tend to focus on the two most common cold-related injuries: frostbite and hypothermia.

Frostbite is a condition in which body cells and tissue freeze from exposure to cold weather. We see frostbite in

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varying degrees of severity: frostnip, superficial frostbite, and deep frostbite.

Frostnip, the mildest form, is the freezing of the outermost layer of cells of the skin. Often we see frostnip in the nose, ears, fingers, and toes, and is identified by flushing and redness early on, as well as a burning or tingling sensation.

More severe cases of frostnip involve the tissues starting to become white and numb. After the frostnip stage, we begin to see the skin becoming a pale white and taking on a waxy, firm texture. Blisters can form over affected areas after a day or two. At this stage the tissues underneath the skin and subcutaneous fat are still unaffected. This is called superficial frostbite. The most severe form is deep frostbite, which involves frozen cells and tissues involving all layers from the skin to the bone, also known as full-thickness frostbite. With deep frostbite, we can often expect to see

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blisters with purple or black color. There is often nerve damage and the potential for gangrene development.

A patient can be suffering from hypothermia with or without the presence of frostbite. Hypothermia, or a drop in a patient’s core body temperature, is also classified by severity; mild (90-95⁰F), moderate (82-90⁰F), and severe (>82⁰F). Mild hypothermia is usually described as profound shivering, increased heart and respiratory rates, impaired judgment, and frequent urination. Moderate hypothermia is often accompanied by altered mental status, slow and shallow respirations, drop in heart rate, shivering stops, slowed reflexes, and possibly paradoxical undressing (removal of clothing as if hot even though the patient is cold). Cardiac arrhythmias become common at this stage, as well as the presence of Osborn or J-waves (an abnormality in ECG tracings Page

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I’m Freezing My Toes Off! continued movement. Do not rewarm the limb if there is any chance that it might freeze again.

that is specific to hypothermia). When progressing to severe hypothermia, we often see coma, hypotension, bradycardia, pulmonary edema, ventricular arrhythmias, and possibly asystole.

Treatment for frostbite and hypothermia depend on the severity. With early detection, frostnip is usually completely reversible. The more severe the frostbite, however, the more nerve and tissue damage we see. This may lead to amputation of the affected tissue. General management of frostbite and hypothermia include oxygen therapy, cardiac monitoring, and intravenous access. As a general rule, remove any wet clothing and keep the patient dry. Avoid rubbing or massaging affected areas, as this can cause more tissue damage. To help protect the tissue, splinting an affected extremity is an option to prevent excessive Page

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There are two main options for rewarming- passive and active.

Passive rewarming involves covering the patient with blankets and maintaining a warm ambient temperature to encourage retention of the body’s own heat. Active rewarming is the application of direct heat to the patient.

This can be done by using warmed blankets, hot packs, immersion of an extremity in tepid water, use of warmed IV fluids, or use of a warmed-air blanket system. When using active rewarming there is a risk of causing peripheral vasodilation, which can cause blood to rush to the extremities, a potentially dangerous drop in blood pressure, and possible cardiac dysrhythmias. Avoid sudden movement of your patient, as this can induce a dysrhythmia.

Rewarming can often be very painful for your patients. Refer to your regional and agency protocols for pain management of these injuries, however be aware that hypothermia slows down

metabolic processes. This can delay absorption, distribution, and elimination of medications.

For example, at 98.6⁰F, the half-life of Morphine is 1.5 hours, but at 77⁰F, its half-life is 36 hours.

As a general rule, refer to your local protocols for your agency’s specific management of these emergencies.

However, prevention and early recognition are the best methods of combating coldrelated injuries. If you have children, limit play time outside to no more than 30 minutes at a time and ensure that they are properly dressed with dry, weather-appropriate clothing every time they go outside. If someone has been exposed to the cold and are acting strangely at all, take a second look.

Have a safe and happy New Year!

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2013

Vehicle Rescue Awareness and Operations command, patient care, need for transport units, safety of rescuers and removal of patients. The practical portion is how to control the hazards found at crash scene. Some of the hazards are unstable vehicle, fluid leaks, and vehicle air bags, down power lines just to name a few. Also usage of tools (hand tools, power tools, hydraulic tools, air bags, etc.) to remove the doors or roof on a vehicle to gain access and extricate patients.

Submitted by Cecil Leach, VAVRS Training Officer and Vehicle Rescue and Awareness and Operations Coordinator Do you need training for your squad in vehicle extrication?

One place to get training is at Rescue College that is held in Blacksburg, Virginia June 6th to 15th 2014.

The VEHICLE RESCUE AWARENESS AND OPERATIONS course was developed by VAVRS. This course stresses skills and the latest techniques in vehicle extrication. With emphasis placed on, orderly and efficient approach to the crash situation, safety procedures, protective equipment and use of tools (hand tools, power tools, hydraulic tools, air bags, etc.)

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This course contains both classroom and practical portions. So what does all of this add up to? The classroom portion contains information as to why training is needed, equipment needs, and size up, protective equipment for rescuer and patient, the hazards of vehicle that has been crashed, establish

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If you have VEHICLE RESCUE AWARENESS AND OPERATIONS basic level and are thinking about becoming an Instructor the place is Rescue College in Blacksburg Virginia June 6th to 15 2014.

If you are interested in these and other courses check out the VAVRS web and the address is WWW.VAVRS.COM and click on 2014Rescue Collage brochure.

Register early!

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ATV Rescue, Operations and Awareness is now “SEOR-Ops” give them a skill set for the use of ATVs and UTVs in rescue and recovery work.

Specifically in environments where the use of full size emergency vehicles is impossible or problematic or where substantial amounts of manpower is needed to retrieve a victim from inaccessible or rough terrain. Examples of these types of environments are festivals, sporting events, marathons, NASCAR races,

Portions of this article appeared in the Conference Issue of LIFELINE

Submitted by Tarry Pribble, SEOR-OPS Coordinator Last year the VAVRS’ ATV Rescue, Awareness and Operations Course put on a “Ride and Drive” event to promote the course to the Association’s membership at the VAVRS Conference. This year they were back with the “Ride and Drive” event, a more informative exhibit, upcoming class announcements and a new name. ATV Rescue, Awareness and Operations Course is now “Special Events and Off-Road Operations”, SEOR-Ops for short!

Why the name change? Special Events and Off-Road Operations better represents the objectives and content of the course. Our intent is to educate VAVRS members and

A Forest View member works an ATV over a curbing during a practical evolution.

been reconfigured to make the course more applicable to agencies who do not already own ATVs or UTVs. We have added modules that discuss developing Special Events and Off-Road Operations teams and their values to an agency.

We hope to eventually provide this portion to the Association as a separate “Awareness Class”. In the meantime Course Coordinators and Instructors will be glad to come to crew trainings and District Meetings to present this material for informational purposes only.

We recognized that more agencies will have the opportunity to use the knowledge and skills developed in the ”Special Events” section of the class than in Off-Road.

Therefore we are working diligently to expand that (Continued on page 37)

hiking and horseback trails, farms and hunting areas.

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Over the last 12 months much material has been developed to expand current subject matters and add new content to the course. It is anticipated that shortly the standard SEOR-Ops course will consist of 16 hours of classroom and hands on learning. The curriculum has VAVRS

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ATV Rescue, Operations and Awareness is now “SEOR-Ops”

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module. The development of a precision driving cone course that simulates working in tight quarters amongst huge crowds is nearly complete. It’s the intensity of EVOC with soft

targets! Even with all the changes this course is still designed to be teach the beginning rider and challenge the experienced.

Not every agency has ATVs or UTVs in their equipment inventory but that number is

VAVRS' 2013 Polaris Ranger 500 Crew purchased with funds raised by the Course Coordinators and Instructors

growing. In the last 6 months we have been contacted by 6 agencies who have acquired UTVs. We are working with several of those agencies to work out future classes. To assist agencies who would like to take or host a SEOR-Ops Class but do not have a machine, the Course Coordinators and Instructors raised over $9000 to purchase a 2013 Polaris Ranger Crew 500 for the Association. The machine will be on display in the exhibit hall at this year’s conference. Come see your Association’s newest teaching tool!

Ask a Coordinator or Instructor how your agency can host a class or have someone come talk to your agency about the benefits of a SEOR-Ops team. You can also keep track of what is going on with the SEOR-Ops course by following us on Facebook or visit our website (currently under construction) at SEOROps.org.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

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November/December

Photo Caption Contest

Below are the submissions for captions for this photo of a participant in the Virginia/German Paramedic Exchange Program and Program Coordinator Jane Laverne at the VAVRS Conference Award Ceremony.

Jane to her German friend—”Why are you smiling? I hid your passport so you can’t go home even if you want too!”

In each of the 2014 issues VIRGINIA LIFELINE we will attempt to have a photo caption contest.

Below is our current submission and we are soliciting your humorous captions to this photo of this unnamed individual (We can’t say who it is but his initials are Rickey H ) wearing a Food Lion grocery bag.

Photo submitted by Alfred Smith, VAJVRS Advisor. All entries might be printed (after censoring). odge

German Paramedic is saying, “Jane, you give best back scratches I have ever had. But you better quit before we start an international incident!”

Both are saying together, “You will never guess who just saved 15% on their car insurance!”

Looks like Jane is into ventriloquism.

She should do well with that life sized “Made in Germany” hand puppet.

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District Three

Phil Childress (above) and Edward (Bubby) Bish (below) receive their Life Membership award from Wayne Rapp, District 3 Treasurer. Photo by Warren Winner

Submitted by Cindy Swann, District 3 Historian District 3's November Meeting was held at Henrico VRS Kenny welcomed a special guest and we were pleased to have him attend. Thank you Rickey Hodge for joining us. District 3 recognized Carroll Hawkes, Phil Childress and Edward (Bubby) Bish as New District Life Members.

We had a fair turn out, but again could have been better.

For this reason we decided on changing the time of our meetings from 7pm to 5:30pm to see if starting earlier would be more convenient for everyone. Again we did not have any competition. We went over a lot of information that was covered at the Conference. Our next meeting will be February 1, 2014 at 5:30pm at Ashland VRS. More information will come out before the meeting. Please Official

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come and join us.

Saturday, November 9th. J.C and Fran Phillips, Kenny Frenier and his wife and Bubby Bish attended District 2's meeting at Ocean Park Rescue Squad, Virginia Beach. They had a good time.

Sunday, November 17th Ettrick Matoaca VRS had their Fall Festival. They gave a tour of their station and showed their VAVRS

equipment to everyone that attended. They had a nice food buffet, also had hayrides.

They had a good turn out.

We want to Thank Henrico VRS for their hospitality and a great meal.

Hope everyone had a Great Thanksgiving and will have a Wonderful Christmas and New Years.

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Important

Brandon Bogus dressed up at the Ettrick Matoaca Rescue Squad Fall Festival.

VAVRS Events 2014 VAVRS Instructor Update March 1, 2014 - Oilville Spring BOG Meeting April 5, 2014 - Holiday Inn, Bristol, VA VAVRS Camporee May 16-17, 2014 - Buena Vista EMS Week May 19 - 25, 2014 VAVRS Rescue College June 6-15, 2014--Virginia Tech, Blacksburg IRECA 2011 Conference & Competition June 6-15, 2014--TBA National EMS Memorial Service

Brandon Bogus was treating everyone to an old fashion hay ride with a 4 wheeler.

June 28, 2014--Colorado Springs VAVRS Conference September 24-27, 2014--Va Beach Virginia EMS Symposium November 11-15, 2014 -- Norfolk VAVRS Executive Committee February 1, 2014 - Buena Vista April 4, 2014 - Bristol May 31, 2014 - Teleconference August 9, 2014 - TBA September 25, 2014 - Va Beach

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Davis EMS Systems - Offering the Best in EMS and Rescue Training Submitted by Scott Davis, VAVRS Secretary and Davis EMS Education Specialist

perform skills in the dark and in tight quarters.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS): ACLS is an advanced, instructor-led classroom course that highlights the importance of team dynamics and

As the 2014 VAVRS Rescue College quickly approaches I would like to take this opportunity to give you a brief description of some of the courses offered.

Davis EMS Systems is an educational company that specializes in EMS and Rescue training. Davis EMS has taught numerous courses for the VAVRS and this year will offer a wide variety of courses for the members of the VAVRS. Below is a list of the courses and a brief description of each course.

Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC): The TCCC course is a combined provider course for all those interested in joining or forming a medical team attached to a Special Response or SWAT team. This course will provide you with the basic and advanced skills need to perform in a high risk situation.

Skills taught will include IV/ IO, splinting, surgical airway, numerous bleeding control devices, as well as basic movements of the team and expectations of the medical team member. This course is a demanding class and participants are expected to be able to easily move and Official

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communication, systems of care and immediate post-cardiacarrest care. It also covers airway management and related pharmacology. In this course, skills are taught in large, group sessions and small, group learning and testing stations where case-based scenarios are presented. ACLS is designed for healthcare professionals who either direct or participate in the management of cardiopulmonary arrest and other cardiovascular emergencies. This includes personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care and critical care units.

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Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS): Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is a classroom, video-based, Instructor-led course that uses a series of simulated pediatric emergencies to reinforce the important concepts of a systematic approach to pediatric assessment, basic life support, PALS treatment algorithms, effective resuscitation and team dynamics. The goal of the PALS Course is to improve the quality of care provided to seriously ill or injured children, resulting in improved outcomes.

The PALS Course is for healthcare providers who respond to emergencies in infants and children. These include personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care and critical care units such as physicians, nurses, paramedics and others who need a PALS course completion card for job or other requirements.

Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS): AMLS is the leading Prehospital advanced medical assessment and treatment program that offers a "think outside the box" diagnosis methodology and is endorsed by the National Association of EMS Physicians. Students will learn how to take assessment

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findings as well as lab values and other important information and make a diagnosis of patients.

Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS): PHTLS is the world’s premier Prehospital trauma education developed in cooperation with the American College of Surgeons to promote critical thinking in addressing multi-system trauma and provide the latest evidencebased treatment practices.

This is a combined provider course and students will learn and review all needed steps to deal with and treat both simple and complex trauma patients.

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EMS Safety program is designed to promote a culture of EMS safety and help reduce the number and intensity of injuries incurred by EMS practitioners in carrying out their work.

Geriatric Emergency Medicine (GEMS): The proportion of the aged in society today is greater than ever before and growing faster than any other segment of our population. Current indications are that approximately 34% of calls for emergency medical services, or 3.4 million emergency responses involve patients over the age of 60. GEMS represents the most credible

and complete source of Prehospital medical information for older adults. The GEMS course is innovative, comprehensive, and highly visual with case-based lectures, live action video, hands-on skill stations, and small group scenarios.

We hope you take advantage of these courses as these courses a very expensive to be attended individually. The above listed courses NOT including the Safety Course and the Tactical Combat course will give members all needed CAT 1 hours for Paramedic recertification.

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Dear Rescue Ranger Dear Rescue Ranger, I hate computer games. I spend hours playing just to end up feeling frustrated. I never win and yet I keep trying.

Persistent in Parksley Dear Persistent, Once my computer beat me at chess but it was no match for my kick boxing!

Dear Rescue Ranger, What do you call a fish with no eyes?

Inquisitive in Isle of Wight Dear Inquisitive, That one is easy, a fsh.

Dear Rescue Ranger, I admit I don’t do much reading and now I remember why. I recently read a book. It was well written and I understood most of it but I do have one question though. Why did the cow jump over the moon?

Anonymous Dear Jane L., The farmer had cold hands.

Dear Rescue Ranger, You are my idol. I don’t know how you do it. You are a paramedic, an officer in the squad, teach EMT, EVOC, CPR, ITLS, ACLS, PALS, AMLS, serve on the EMS Council Board, and precept providers.

Do you suffer from insanity?

Worried in Waynesboro Dear Worried, I am glad I impress someone.

By the way, I don’t suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

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Dear Rescue Ranger, I am the lead operational officer at our squad. Recently the squad’s board of directors voted to sell our crash truck. I could not talk them out of it so as they say, “If you can’t beat them, join them”, I sold our ambulances!

Bubby Dear Bubby, Bubby, Bubby, Bubby, don’t you know -”If you can’t beat, beat them” because they’ll be expecting you to join them, so you’ll have the element of surprise.

Dear Rescue Ranger, What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?

Puzzled in Prince George Dear Puzzled, A nervous wreck!

Dear Rescue Ranger, Because of your mentorship and suggestion of hard work, I feel I have my feet firmly on the ground. Got my paramedic, became an EMT instructor, got a promotion at work and feel so good about myself. Thanks!

Succeeded in Salem Dear Succeeded, Great! But, please remember.

If you keep your feet firmly on the ground, you’ll have trouble putting on your pants.

Dear Rescue Ranger, Again your advice paid off. I was treating a patient that was in severe pain. I did every thing you told me—held her VAVRS

hand, maintained good eye contact, talked slowly and softly and basically gave her the best TLC I could muster.

It really worked, she became “quiet as a mouse” while we packaged her and transported.

Thank you for your sage advice.

Impressed in Independence Dear Impressed, Whoever coined the phrase “Quiet as a Mouse” has never stepped on one.

Dear Rescue Ranger, Did you know that dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish?

Smart in Surry Dear Tommy, I will try to remember that.

The question that I have. If you are supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some people have more than one child?

Dear Bubby, I heard you took up tap dancing. How is that going?

Rescue Ranger Dear Rescue Ranger, Not too good...broke my ankle when I fell into the sink.

“By the time you learn the rules of life you are too old to play the game!”

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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

80th Anniversary Buck Knife Only 500 of the numbered knives will be ordered in honor of 80th Anniversary of the VAVRS. Each knife will be numbered.

Don’t Hesitate!

-

Order yours today!

Your knife with display box will be available for pickup at the 80th Anniversary Conference in Virginia Beach on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014, for $35.00.

We can ship your order to you for an additional cost of $10.00 shipping and handling.

To pay via Credit Card contact VAVRS Office 804 749 8191 800 833 0602 MAKE MONEY ORDER OR SQUAD CHECK PAYABLE TO: Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads P O Box 279, Oilville, VA 23129