NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2014 VIRGINIA LIFELINE
Apr 06, 2016
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2014
VIRGINIA LIFELINE
P a g e 2 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 3
Nominating: Bruce Stratton
Membership: Kim Craig
By-Laws: Bruce Edwards
Lifeline: Gary Dalton
Conference: Ford Wirt
Camporee: Ronnie Slough
Finance: Steve Grayson
Scholarship: Carolyn Brand
EMS Memorial: Kevin Dillard
Grant: Elizabeth Papelino
Facility Manager: Lin Matthews
Web Page: Gary Dalton
Legislative: Dreama Chandler
Legislative: Bubby Bish
2014-2015 VAVRS Committee Chairs
P a g e 4 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Rescue College: Rickey Hodge
Rescue College: Wayne Myers
Human Resources: Kim Craig
Life Membership: Ronnie Slough
Rescue Hall of Fame: Page Entsminger
EMS Advisory Board: Valeta Daniels
EMS Advisory Board: Denene Hannon
Strategic Planning: Bubby Bish
New Course Development: Wayne Myers
Recruitment and Retention: Fran Phillips
Recruitment and Retention: Bobby Hill
Volunteer Management: Page Entsminger
EMS Exchange Program: Jane Laverne
President Rickey Hodge
Vice President Kim Craig
Secretary Scott Davis
Treasurer Steve Grayson
Training Officer Cecil Leach
Chaplain Mike Smoot
Chaplain Emeritus Page Entsminger
Historian Dreama Chandler
Editor Gary Dalton
Legal Advisor S. Craig Lane
Parliamentarian J. C. Phillips
Immediate Past President Bubby Bish
Medical Advisor James R. Dudley, MD, MBA
2014-2015 VAVRS Officers
District 1 V. P. Steve Southworth
District 2 V. P. Carolyn White
District 3 V. P. Warren Winner
District 5 V. P. L. Frank Smith
District 6 V. P. Doug Adams
District 7 V. P. Coby Fizer
District 8 V. P. Steven Reynolds
District 9 V. P. Dwayne Stanley
District 10 V. P. George Langford
Office Manager Frances Brooks
Training Coordinator Kathy Eubank
Administrative Secretary Shirley Bagby
Lobbyist Ed Rhodes
President Victoria Gaudin
Vice President Elizabeth Pittman
Secretary/Treasurer Savannah Hise
Historian Cara Beasley
Chaplain TBA
2014-2015 VAJVRS Officers
Advisor, Chair Alfred Smith
Advisor Brandon Baugus
Advisor Woody Conner
Advisor Micky Grodski
For a complete list of the current
courses being
offered by the
VAVRS—go to
Deadline for the Upcoming Issues
of the VIRGINIA LIFELINE Articles may be submitted by any member of the VAVRS, AVAVRS
and VAJVRS. Feature articles are encouraged. Photos and/or
graphics are acceptable and can be returned if requested.
Contact the Editor if you need assistance in writing an article
Deadline for future issues as follows:
December 1, 2014 for January/February 2015 Issue
February 1, 2014 for March/April 2015 Issue
April 1, 2015 for May/June 2015 Issue
June 1, 2015 for the July/August 2015 Issue
THE VIRGINIA
LIFELINE
ISSN 0279-6023
is the official bimonthly
publication of the Virginia
Association of Volunteer
Rescue Squads, Inc.
Editorial material should
be sent directly to the
VAVRS Editor at
P O Box 522
Woodstock, VA 22664
(H) 540-459-4849
(W) 540-536-2758
(FAX) 540-459-4925
(C) 540-481-0125
Requests for advertising
rates, material
specifications and
deadlines should be
directed to the Editor.
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 5
President - Sharon Campbell
Vice President - Harry Householder
Secretary - Dolores Hudson
Treasurer - Patsy Wingfield
Chaplain - Ailease Short
Historian - Linda Berkstresser
Parliamentarian - Maxie Skeen
2014-2015 AVAVRS Officers
Immediate Past President - Fern Puckett
Midwestern VP - Nancy Linkous
Northeastern VP - Debbie Smallwood
Southcentral VP - Clara Craig
Southeastern VP - Roger Lynthlin
Southwestern VP - Valarie Becker
Western VP - Janis Slough
Conference: Vickie Arnold
Conference: Sheila Gordon
Nominating: Ruth Swicegood
Life Membership: Carolyn Brand
Emergency Care: Laura Booze
Resolutions: Maxie Skeen
2014-2015 AVAVRS Committee Chairs
Membership: Harry Householder
Finance: Patsy Wingfield
Roll Call: Donna Porter
Roll Call: Valarie Becker
Fundraising: Stacey Frame
Fundraising: Tracey Frame
P a g e 6 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
through engaging videos,
animations, simulations, and review
exercises.
The dynamic online curriculum
covers high voltage vehicle and
safety systems, basic electrical
concepts, identification techniques
for electric and hybrid vehicles,
immobilization and power-down
procedures, extrication
challenges, recommended
practices for dealing with vehicle
and battery fires, incidents
involving charging stations, and
more. Highly-interactive modules
are video and graphic intensive,
and you can repeat any section on
demand.
Upon completion of five modules
you should be able to:
· Safely conduct emergency
scene size-up and management
· Identify an electric vehicle
· Effectively immobilize the
vehicle for scene safety
· Disable the vehicle's High
Voltage and SRS systems
· Conduct occupant rescue
more safely
· Execute EV recovery and
disposal
A built-in learning management
system lets you exit the program
anytime and return where you left
off, so you can maximize time and
schedule training around
professional demands.
Demonstrate your proficiency in
Electric/Hybrid/Fuel Cell Safety Course for Trucks, Buses, and Commercial Fleet Vehicles
course
content by
completing a
series of
data
reviews at
the
conclusion
of each
training module and final scenario
room activities. Pass these reviews
and earn your Certificate of
Educational Achievement and CEU
credit.
Who Will Benefit:
Anyone who may respond to
incidents involving electric or
hybrid vehicles, including fire
service and law enforcement,
emergency medical service
technicians, and tow and salvage
personnel.
Continuing Education Credit:
Complete all five modules and
qualify for 0.2 Continuing
Education Units. Upon completion,
participants will be prompted to
download the CEU certificate
directly from the course site.
Please verify applicability with
your professional board before
attending.
This training application is only
accessible to individuals within the
United States. Customers residing
outside the U.S. should not
purchase this training, as they will
not be able to view it.
READ MORE: http://
evsafetytraining.org/
Submitted by Kenneth P. Clark, AEM (Virginia); Training & Curriculum Development Manager Office of Training & Exercises Virginia Department of Emergency Management
This training application is only
accessible to individuals within the
United States. Customers residing
outside the U.S. should not
purchase this training, as they will
not be able to view it.
All registration fees will be waived
for the first 20,000 first
responders who sign up at
EVSafetyTraining.org
NFPA®'s self-paced Electric
Vehicle Safety for Emergency
Responders Online Course*
teaches emergency responders
how to safely deal with emergency
situations involving electric and
hybrid vehicles. Earn a Certificate
and CEUs.
Please Note: NFPA is now offering
this online course free of charge
to the US Fire Service. Also
available to the US Fire Service is
the Electric/Hybrid/Fuel Cell
Safety Course for Trucks, Buses,
and Commercial Fleet Vehicles.
It is predicted that 13.9 million
electrified vehicles will be on the
world's roadways within five
years. To help emergency
responders handle the unique
challenges presented by this new
technology, NFPA has developed
the Electric Vehicle Safety for
Emergency Responders Online
Course. In approximately two
hours, the self-paced program
effectively trains responders
Free Course: Electric Vehicle Safety for Emergency
Responders Online Course
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 7
P a g e 8 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 9
Staying Busy—Cave Spring Auxiliary
The 15th will find us fixing dinner
for the members of the crew for
their training meeting. As part of
the training there will be a "meet
and greet" with the crew's new
medical director. We always find
that there is a good turnout when
food is involved.
The players and coaches from the
Cave Spring High School football
team will be treated to dinner on
the 17th of October. We fix
dinner for the team and parents
Submitted by Sharon K Campbell
Vickie Arnold, Karla Sprouse,
Patsy Wingfield and I represented
the Cave Spring Auxiliary during
the 2014 AVAVRS Conference in
Virginia Beach. Member, Laura
Clark was also at the beach and
spent her time attending the wide
array of classes offered. As usual
it was fun seeing old and new
friends and it is always great
exchanging ideas. We attended
each meeting and helped other
members of the Southcentral
District host the Friday Business
Meeting. We were honored to have
our hard work recognized when we
placed 4th in the Scrapbook
Competition. Congratulations to all
of the scrapbook winners, the
books were beautiful.
There was no rest for the weary
as we arrived back in Roanoke and
needed to make the final
arrangements for our Fall Chicken
Barbecue. October 4th was almost
a perfect day for the BBQ. Our
breakfast consisting of scrambled
eggs, fried apples, biscuits,
sausage gravy and bacon was a big
hit with the workers and later in
the day they enjoyed a big lunch.
We try to feed them well as it is a
long hard day and we appreciate
their help and support because we
know we couldn't do it without
them. Many of the crew's Life
Members and former members
pitch in to make it a successful
day. A big thank you goes to
Camilla, one of our Honorary
Members. She made 31 cakes plus
assorted cookies and snacks for
our bake sale. Our profit for the
day totaled approximately
$4,000.00.
will pick up the food and deliver it
to the school and serve it. An easy
project with lots of PR as we are
recognized in the program and
announcements throughout the
game.
Fall has arrived in the valley which
means that cold weather and the
holidays will not be far behind. To
each of you we wish you a great
Thanksgiving with friends and
family.
The 2nd cooking of chicken halves, 1258 half chickens
are cooked for the dinners.
P a g e 1 0 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
regional medical directors,
several EMS competitions and
opportunities to network with
other volunteer agencies and
many EMS vendors.
“The VAVRS’s mission is to
promote and assist member
rescue squads in improving pre-
hospital care in Virginia,” said
Wesley Melson, Rescue Chief
for CBVRS. “The competition is
fierce among the statewide
squads, so we were honored and
proud to be recognized in so
many categories at the annual
awards banquet, especially
Rescue Call of the Year and
Promotion of Safety. ”
Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad Wins Big at VAVRS Conference
Submitted by Sara Hunt PR
Colonial Beach, VA (October 3,
2014) – Colonial Beach
Volunteer Rescue Squad was,
once again, one of the most
highly decorated squads at the
annual Virginia Association of
Volunteer Rescue Squads
(VAVRS) convention, held
recently in Virginia Beach, Va.
At the awards banquet, CBVRS
won the following honors:
Rescue Call of the Year
First Place - Promotion of
Safety Award
First Place - Website
First Place – Junior
Scrapbook
First Place – Marching Unit
(Junior Honor Guard)
Second Place – Emergency
Vehicle Operator
Second Place - Scrapbook
Third Place – Auxiliary
Scrapbook
The Rescue Call of the Year
was a house fire where CBVRS
Assistant Chief Pat FitzGerald
entered with a police officer
and fire chief to rescue the
homeowner before any other
units arrived on the scene.
CBVRS was well-represented at
the convention with 22
members, including 10 juniors.
The annual event features
training seminars taught by
A delegation from Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad,
including 10 Junior members, admires the awards that they
collected at the recent annual convention of the Virginia
Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads. CBVRS was one of
the highest decorated squads in attendance.
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 1 1
help you get signed up. If your
Squad is already a member, please
make sure your fees are paid.
Should your Squad experience a
death of a member this year,
please send me the information
with a picture of the member
along with a squad patch as soon as
reasonably possible thereafter.
This way, I can begin to organize
the Memorial Service for next
year and keep everyone advised of
our members who have passed.
Hopefully, we will not have as many
as this past year.
Again, thank you for your support
and I look forward to serving you
this year. May you all have a won-
derful holiday season and a joyful
new year!
Submitted by Mike Smoot, VAVRS Chaplain
Thanks to everyone for their sup-
port in electing me to the position
of Chaplain. Please be sure to let
me know of any cards that may
need to be sent to your Squad
members. If you have a death of
a member in your Squad, please
advise the State Office and my-
self as soon as possible.
If your Squad is not participating
in the Death Benefit Plan, please
encourage your members to sign up
for this benefit. The costs are
minimal and it does help the fami-
lies when a death occurs. If you
have any questions about the Plan,
please contact me and I will be
glad to meet with your Squad to go
over the details of the Plan and
Report From the VAVRS Chaplain
P a g e 1 2 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
The 60 Second Parliamentarian Tip
Submitted By J.C. Phillips, VAVRS Parliamentarian
Some organizations can get in into
a lot of trouble on the little words
that are in their bylaws. You must
be very careful how you write
statements in your bylaws. MAKE
SURE THE STATEMENT SAYS
WHAT YOU WANT IT TO
SAY. Some of the little words
are: shall, must, will, should, can,
and may.
For example, your bylaws could
say, "The secretary shall cast a
unanimous ballot for all unopposed
officers." This means that the
secretary has to cast the
unanimous ballot whether he or
she wants to or not because the
word "shall" is in the
recommended that words like
should, can and may be used in
your bylaws, unless you really want
the organization to be able to
make a motion to do something
else.
In conclusion, make sure you use
the right words in your bylaws and
it says what you really want it to
say. After they are part of your
organization's bylaws, then you
have to follow them, no matter
how you feel about them later.
statement. Shall, must and will all
mean that it must be done.
However, as stated in the VAVRS
bylaws, it says as follows, "The
secretary may cast all unopposed
positions as a unanimous
ballot." The word "may" is used in
this statement and that means
that the secretary does not have
to cast the unanimous ballot if the
membership does not want him or
her to do so May, should and can
means that this does not have to
happen, if the membership does
not want it to happen The
membership can make a motion to
vote on all unopposed positions as
well as those positions that have
two or more candidates running
for each position. It is not
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 1 3
P a g e 1 4 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 1 5
Bobby Hill Susa Palmer ECPI Medical Institute Career Fair
Chief Edwards Speaking Fire EMS
Line of Duty Death Memorial
Ocean Park Rescue Squad John Burkard
Above: Oceana Air Show Standby Crews
Right: Randy in 1427
Mike Smoot, Life Member
was installed as VAVRS
Chaplain and Frank Smith
was installed as District 5
VP.
During the Memorial
Service, there were 19
remembered from
District 5. It was a very
nice service conducted by
our State Chaplain.
The Conference this year
was more family oriented
than it has been in the
past and was certainly
enjoyed by all. This
picnic was a great
idea and hopefully will
be repeated next
year. Thanks Ricky
for coming up with
this idea. I great way
to kick back and relax
after a day of
meetings and
competitions.
I hope that each and
every one of you have
a wonderful holiday
season and may the
New Year bring
happiness, wealth and
prosperity to each
one of you. See you
at a meeting soon!
Submitted by Joan Smoot, District 5 Historian
Another successful Conference
has come and gone. Thanks go out
to our wonderful Conference
Committee Members and to all of
the Judge’s for the Competitions.
Without all these people,
Conference would not be possible.
Of course we have to thank our
Vendors who also help pull
Conference off.
Congratulations to District 5
competitors in EVOC: Jason
Morgan of Campbell County Rescue
for taking 1st place; Woody
Connor of Kenbridge Rescue placed
4th; John Smith of Southside
placed 6th; Julie Ferguson of
Danville placed 11th and Heather
Matherly of Altavista placed 18th.
In the Vehicle Extrication,
Southside grabbed 1st place in
Modular Ambulance, 1st place in
Light Duty Rescue Truck and 2nd
place in Heavy Rescue Truck.
Danville took 4th place in Heavy
Rescue.
In Advance Life Support,
Southside took home 4th place.
In the EMT Contest, Southside
placed 2nd place, Altavista EMS
came in at 11th and Danville at
13th. District 5 really took home
some Gold! Congratulations to all!
Jack Morgan, Jr. of Campbell
County was given Life Member in
the VAVRS. This is one of the
highest and most prestigious honor
anyone can receive in the VAVRS.
Jack was certainly surprised and
was most appreciative of this
honor.
P a g e 1 6 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Report From District 5
Frank Smith (L) installed as
District 5 VP and Mike Smoot (R)
installed as VAVRS Chaplain
Jason Morgan (L) 1st Place State EVOC
Jack Morgan, Jr (R) VAVRS Life Member
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 1 7
Photos taken at the
VAVRS Conference during
the Vehicle Extrication
Competition by Greg
Burton and submitted by
Kate Burton
P a g e 1 8 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
E Brubeck Memorial Trophy” for
First Place. This is the third time
in four years that this team has
accomplished this goal. Our
Modular Ambulance Team placed
2nd only seconds behind
Southside. Our famous EVOC
drivers finished with high marks,
Steve Rohr was 2nd in the
Instructor category and Patrick
Scott was 3rd in Non-Instructor.
Our EMT team finished with a
remarkable 6th place after
unforeseen circumstances left
them with only two members.
It was an honor that the VAVRS
Board of Governors elected Kim
Craig, Life Member of SARS to be
the Association’s Vice President.
Kim has held many leadership roles
within our organization over the
years including the offices of
Captain and President. She has
served as a Junior Advisor at both
the District and State level and on
the VAVRS Human Resources
Committee.
Earlier this summer the Central
Shenandoah EMS Council held
their regional awards. This year
our agency is extremely honored
to have three of our Members
recognized for their
extraordinary accomplishments in
the Virginia EMS system.
Life Member, Matt Lawler was
awarded the “Excellence in EMS”,
Life Member, Buford Scott
Masincup was named “Outstanding
EMS Administrator”, and Part
Time Career Staff Member Rob
Pierce received “Outstanding Pre-
Hospital Provider. Recipients of
the regional awards will be
nominated for the 2014 Governor’s
Award to be announced during the
Submitted by Chrissy Snyder, Community Outreach Chairperson, Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad
The 2014 Conference left us
speechless. Our Auxiliary has
supported our agency wonderfully
over the years and this year
wasn’t and different. They
continue to provide us with
delicious food for training events
and meetings. They were
instrumental in the planning and
execution of our yearlong 75th
Anniversary festivities which
included our member and special
guest social event, our community
celebration, and the “then and
now” Christmas parade float.
They stepped outside their box
and decorated an ambulance that
was in attendance at a local Trunk
n Treat where they saw over a
1000 kids. This is to just to name
a few of the supportive activities
that help them earn the
“Outstanding Auxiliary of the
Year” and the “Emergency Care
Award”.
Our competition teams were
pleased with their outcome. Our
Heavy Rescue Truck once again
was able to bring home the “Ronald
Virginia EMS Symposiums
Ceremony. Our winner’s bios were
provided by the CSEMS Council.
Excellence in EMS: Matt Lawler
Matt Lawler, Program Director and
Assistant Director of Central
Shenandoah EMS Council were
selected as the 2014 Excellence in
EMS award winner. Matt has been
intimately involved in Virginia’s
EMS system for more than 30
years. He is a volunteer provider
who has been involved at the local,
regional and state level.
As a life member of Staunton‐
Augusta Rescue Squad, Matt still
actively runs calls with SARS. He
joined in SARS in June of 1983 as
a junior member and earning his
EMT Ambulance certification in
1984. Since that time, he has
continued his EMS education
culminating in his current
certification as a National
Registered Paramedic. Matt is a
faithful, committed, and dedicated
volunteer—dedicating the better
part of his life to the betterment
of his community.
Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 1 9
Regionally, Matt is active and
serves on a number of committees
to include the Augusta Health
Chest Pain Accreditation
Committee, the TJEMS/CSEMS
Regional Pharmacy Committee, the
Regional Stroke Triage Committee,
the regional Medical Control
Review Committee and the regional
Performance Improvement and
Trauma Performance Improvement
Committees.
At the state level, Matt serves or
has served on several committees
to include the EMS Symposium
Program Committee, the EMS
Formulary Workgroup, the ALS
Competency Subcommittee and he
serves as a site reviewer for state
accreditation visits.
Matt’s many accomplishments,
certifications and credentials are
too numerous to list, but suffice it
to say, he is highly qualified and
respected. He has received
numerous awards over the years
for volunteer man hours and he is
the recipient of three regional
EMS awards: Outstanding EMS
Educator – 2004, Outstanding
Administrator – 2009 and
Excellence in EMS – 2011.
Outstanding EMS Administrator:
Buford Scott Masincup
Matt is a Virginia certified
Education Coordinator and he
plays an integral role in the region
as an educator, mentor,
administrator and friend. He
established, directs and oversees
the region’s only accredited ALS
training programs and he is
working to bring paramedic
education to the region in 2015.
Students from his class and other
classes across the region speak
very highly of him as a preceptor
and mentor. As an educator, Matt
is at the top of his profession. He
makes every minute count as a
learning experience to his
students, fellow providers and co-
workers. He is extremely
knowledgeable in pre-hospital
emergency care and shares his
knowledge willingly and
enthusiastically. Matt serves as a
role model to others he is
considered an expert in care of
the pre-hospital patient. He
provides support, knowledge, skills,
and leadership abilities which
greatly impacts the entire region.
Skilled in interpersonal
communication; he is approachable
and down to earth.
A noted perfectionist, Matt
approaches his administrative
duties and responsibilities with an
eye towards detail. He has
developed protocols and guidelines
that insure correct patient care.
He is responsible for all EMS
education conducted at the Council
and he ensures that educational
records are meticulously
maintained. Matt coordinates the
regional Instructor Network group
making sure that initial and
continuing education courses are
scheduled throughout the region
and available to every agency and
provider.
Scott Masincup began his career
as a junior member of Staunton
Augusta Rescue Squad over 25
years ago. As a junior member, he
enthusiastically sought out new
learning opportunities and gained a
broad foundational knowledge of
EMS from the various challenges
he tackled.
Scott began supporting the
regional EMS system in Augusta
County as a 911 dispatcher. His
combined experience with the
Emergency Operations Center and
at his home agency–Staunton-
Augusta Rescue Squad–lead him to
make a personal evaluation of the
area and determined that there
was a need for a non-emergency
transportation service. His young
business mind lead to a successful
venture with the opening of
Mountain View Medical Transport,
which later became such a
desirable business that Augusta
Health purchased the business.
Upon the sale of his business,
Scott was offered the opportunity
to join the team at Augusta
Health as the director of the
transportation division. After 10
years of serving as the Director
of Augusta Health Transportation,
he was offered the position of
Environment of Care Coordinator,
(Continued on page 21)
P a g e 2 0 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
District Ten News
Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad
Outstanding Pre-hospital
Provider: Rod Pierce.
He has been a dedicated provider
to the regional EMS system since
first obtaining his EMT
certification in 2001. Over the
years, Rod has demonstrated
excellence in EMS by providing
high-quality patient care which is
evidenced by his responsibilities as
the chair of the Augusta County
Fire-Rescue Continuous Quality
Improvement Committee.
Rod spends countless hours
reviewing call sheets and
monitoring system quality for the
where he used his pre-hospital
emergency preparedness and
disaster management skills within
the hospital setting.
In late 2012, Scott once again
assumed the role as Director of
Transportation for the Augusta
Health Transportation
department. The department was
in a financially troublesome time.
The fiscal goals set by the
hospital were not being met, the
department’s revenue had
decreased and expenses were up.
Over the past 10 months, Scott
has decreased the overtime to an
acceptable level of less than 3
percent, increased productivity by
making schedule changes that
meet the demand of the services
and has partnered with the
Emergency Department to utilize
transportation staff when
staffing is available. Scott
pursued this integration in order
to increase the skill level of the
transportation providers, give
them a better understanding of
the preparation of a patient for
transport to another facility and
increase relationships with the ED
staff.
Scott has been certified as an
Intermediate for many years and
just recently enrolled in the VCU
Paramedic program. He is the type
of administer who does not ask his
providers to take steps that he is
not willing to take himself.
He has taken a vital department—
one that was failing financially—
and turned it around, putting the
department back on the right
track.
(Continued from page 19)
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 2 1
county. He oversees a number of
stations that have County career
staff that respond to EMS alarms
and reviews those calls for
completeness and accuracy. Rod
also oversees three additional
EMS providers that review calls in
other County staffed stations. He
is a member of the ACFR’s EMS
committee and assists in county
skills drills to ensure compliance
with regional protocols.
He has steadily risen through the
ranks and currently holds the rank
of Lieutenant with Augusta County
Fire-Rescue. He also serves as a
part-time employee with the
Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad.
From a regional perspective, Rod
serves as a preceptor and
instructor for the Council’s
accredited EMS programs. In
addition to these responsibilities,
Rod is also an ACLS, PALS and CPR
instructor. He always takes the
extra time to help those learn the
new skills.
As 2014 draws to an end, SARS
members are excited about the
possibilities that lay in store for
us in 2015. We wish all of our
VAVRS family safe holidays!
P a g e 2 2 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
members and volunteers who
worked hard to coordinate the
Open House so that it would be a
memorable afternoon for all of
the participants.”
Chancellor Volunteer Fire and Rescue Celebrates Fire Prevention Week
with Open House Event
Submitted by Sara Hunt PR
Chancellor Volunteer Fire &
Rescue invited the community to
an Open House event on Sunday,
Oct. 5 from 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM
to kickoff national Fire Prevention
Week (Oct. 5-11). The Open House
took place at CVFR’s Company 5,
located at 5992 Plank Road.
The free and fun, family-friendly
activities for all ages at the Open
House included:
Lunch with hot dogs, chips and
lemonade
Bounce house for kids
Fire station tours
Vehicle extrication demo
Ladder-climbing contest
Fire safety info
Hands-on CPR demos
Kids Safety House
Sparky the Fire Dog
Volunteer recruitment info
And more!
Media coverage about the event
included a Letter to the Editor by
Chief Kevin Dillard in the Free
Lance Star on the morning of the
Open House, an announcement on
Fredericksburg Patch, a radio
remote on-site by B101.5, plus lots
of posting on Facebook and
tweeting on Twitter.
“We had a great turnout on a
beautiful fall Sunday,” said Beth
Addington, President of CVFR. “A
big thank-you goes to our
At Chancellor's Open House on Oct. 5, a crowd of people gathered
to watch a mock demo of CVFR volunteers extricating a passenger
from a vehicle using the Jaws of Life equipment. This was just one
of many activities planned for families to enjoy for the kickoff
of Fire Prevention Week.
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 2 3
District Three
Scholarship Awards:
Sylvia and Garry
Clatterbuck, Amanda Gates
with Richmond VRS.
(Formerly West End VRS)
Ann Gwaltney Memorial,
Amanda Penn with West
Hanover.
Competition:
Emergency Vehicle
Operator: Instructor, 4th
Place, David Tesh, Forest
View, 3rd Place, Bubby Bish,
Southside VA Emergency
Crew.
Vehicle Extrication: Advanced Life
Support, 1st Place, Forest View
VRS.
EMT Contest; VAJVRS: 1st Place,
Forest View.
Submitted by Cindy Swann, District Three Historian
I hope everyone had a good time
at the Conference and a safe trip
home. As always between BOG
meetings I attended some of the
classes, which were good as
always.
Gary Brown, Mike Berg and Scott
Winston from OEMS attended the
Conference and covered changes
and activities that will be coming
up. Our Lobbyist Ed Rhodes also
went over some of the changes.
District 3 did Ok this year.
VAVRS Life Member: Doug
Everhart. Congratulation Doug.
Congratulation to Elizabeth (Liz)
Papelino, who is Instructor of the
Year.
Parade Award received by
District 3.
Quick Response Support Unit, 4th
Place, Forest View.
Thanks to all of you for a great
job and I hope I haven't left
anyone out.
News from District Nine
Several crews from District 9
participated in a drill on October
8, 2014 at Virginia Highlands
Airport, Operation The Sky's the
Limit. The drill involved a
simulated airplane crash with
multiple victims and fire. The drill
was hosted by Washington County
Department of Emergency
Management and sponsored by
VDEM. Washington County Life
Saving Crew, Bristol Life Saving
Crew, Damascus Rescue Squad,
Damascus Fire Department, Glade
Spring Volunteer Life Saving Crew,
Glade Spring Fire Department, and
Washington County Fire and
Rescue participated in the
drill. This was a great learning
experience for everyone that
participated.
Submitted by Ruth Stanley, District 9 Historian
Several squads from District 9
recently attended the 2014
VAVRS Annual Conference and
several awards were brought
home. Congratulations to all the
teams that competed and to all
that brought home
trophies. Bristol Life Saving Crew
6th Place ALS, Washington
County Life Saving Crew 2nd place
ALS, 4th place BLS and 3rd place
Best Appearing Rescue Truck,
Glade Spring Volunteer Life Saving
Crew 4th place Best Appearing
Ambulance, 3rd place Senior
Scrapbook, 2nd place Junior
Scrapbook and 2nd Place Auxiliary
Scrapbook.
P a g e 2 4 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Ham, Turkey, and the CHF Patient
the thought was that morphine
would have solid vasodilatory
effects while relaxing the patient,
leading to decreased anxiety and
overall improvement. These actions
do not seem to be as effective as
once thought. Yes, morphine
relaxes your patient, however as a
vasodilator its effects are
transient and often not as profound
as what is required. Studies have
shown that more aggressive nitrate
therapy is more effective than
morphine. While morphine is not
necessarily harmful in this case, it
just might not be the most useful
tool in the toolbox either.
Furosemide, or Lasix, is a
completely different animal.
So, the second half of the “bigger
container/less fluid” approach. To
be able to effectively utilize Lasix
for the CHF patient, one must be
able to quickly and reliably
ascertain the cause of this episode
of heart failure. Is your patient in
failure because they have too much
fluid in their system, is their body
is having trouble properly
distributing fluid to where it needs
to be, or is it because the pump is
having more trouble than normal?
If fluid overload is suspected,
Lasix is effective at correcting the
problem. On the other hand, if the
patient is properly hydrated or
even a little dehydrated, Lasix can
cause more problems than it fixes.
Lasix has a significant impact on
Submitted by Harold Good, Southside Virginia Emergency Crew
With Thanksgiving and Christmas
rapidly approaching, preparations
are under way for many people for
two of the biggest meals of the
year. Holiday dinner tables are full
of all sorts of tasty dishes, usually
including all those things that
doctors warn their patients not to
eat too much of. For most of us in
EMS, it’s no more of a problem
than having to let our belts out a
notch or two, but for some of our
patients this can have a major
impact. Patients with congestive
heart failure who splurge a little
too much over the holidays can
have severe complications.
For thirty years or more, the “holy
trinity” of the prehospital
management of CHF has been
nitroglycerin, morphine, and
furosemide. The theory is fairly
simple- use nitroglycerin (sublingual
and paste) and morphine to
increase vasodilation and follow
them up with furosemide to get rid
of excess fluid. While this is a
fairly well-reasoned theory,
research has shown in recent years
that this may not work as well as
previously thought.
While nitrates for vasodilation are
still a cornerstone of CHF
management, morphine has become
somewhat more suspect in its role
for CHF management. Previously,
electrolytes,
such as
calcium,
potassium,
and
magnesium,
which can further complicate
definitive therapy for these
patients. Several other effects
can be noted for specific patient
populations, such as glucose
intolerance for diabetics,
increased electrolyte impact on
patients with liver disease, and
increased risk for ototoxicity and
further kidney damage for renal
disease patients. Most of these
conditions are things that require
lab work and other testing only
available in the hospital setting,
which renders Lasix administration
tricky at best.
With CPAP being a common
prehospital tool these days,
perhaps a better treatment plan
would be aggressive nitrate
therapy coupled with CPAP and the
consideration of morphine based
upon your patient’s presentation.
Lasix could then be considered if
history and physical exam indicates
likely fluid overload. Consulting
medical control is never a bad
option, either. As always, local
protocols take precedence.
SVEC would like to wish everyone
happy holidays and best wishes for
the New Year!
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 2 5
2014—2015 Members of the Recruitment and Retention Committee
80th ANNIVERSARY GIFT: The
VAVRS Recruitment & Retention
Committee was able to give an
“80th Anniversary” gift of a green
insulated beverage container with
the VAVRS logo and “80th
Anniversary” imprinted on the
container to each registered guest
at the Conference. Thank YOU to
Rickey Hodge for selecting and
transporting the cups for the
Committee to give out.
THANK YOU to those who helped
distribute the cups. On Wednesday
Bobby Hill [VAVRS R & R Co-Chair
and Frank Smith [District 5 Vice
President], on Thursday Steve
Southworth [District 1 Vice
President] and Steven Reynolds
[District 8 Vice President], and on
Friday the Registration Committee.
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to
Submitted by Fran Phillips, Chair
If you have ideas you would like to
share, on either Recruitment or
Retention, let us know. Each
VAVRS District should have a
person designated to help their
district with R & R issues. Those on
the VAVRS Recruitment &
Retention Committee for 2014—
2015 are listed below:
Fran Phillips, Chair
Post Office Box 1118
Midlothian, VA 23113
Cell Phone: [804] 794-5208
Email: [email protected]
Bobby Hill, Co-Chair
740 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Phone: [757] 647-2789
Email: recruitment@
vbrescuefoundation.org
Bobby Hill, J. C. Phillips and Kenny
Frenier for their help in moving the
boxes from Hall A to the storage
area a Hall C.
If Bobby or I can help you with R &
R issues or give you suggestions,
give us a call or email us.
Thank YOU for your continued
service to the citizens of Virginia
and to the VAVRS.
Pictured left to right: Cam Crittenden, Director of ED Operations
and EMS Outreach, John Hilliard, President of Forest View VRS,
Savannah Hartbarger, EMT-P, ED Tech, Michele Mclasky, SFMC
ED Nurse Manager, Molly Parker, EMT-P, ED Tech, Corrie Hughes,
RN, Dave Johnston, Operations Chief, Forest View VRS
Bon Secours has a charitable heart, but
today WE were on the receiving end!
Forest View Volunteer Rescue Squad
graciously donated an EMS stretcher to be
used to respond to emergencies in the
hospital and to assist with the transfer of
patients who are Medevac transports. A
basket of homemade goodies was given
Forest View VRS from the ED staff!
From the AVAVRS Chaplain
Remembered in the service were
as follows:
Marjorie Anderson- Millwood
Station; Glennie Bower- Brunswick;
Madeline Dixon-East Hanover; Jo
House- Danville, Patricia Jones-
West End; Judith Miller-
Waynesboro;
Rebecca Morgan- Campbell County;
Frances McDonnell- Forest View;
Evelyn Persinger- Clifton Forge;
Virginia Walters- Christiansburg;
Rhoda York- Staunton-Augusta.
We commend all the ladies for
their legacy and paving the way
for the rest of us as we carry on
in the AVAVRS.
I hope everyone is enjoying the
Submitted by Ailease Short
We had a wonderful conference at
Virginia Beach in September. Our
congratulations to VAVRS on the
picnic held on Thursday night
which everyone enjoyed. Great
time and fellowship enjoyed by all
who attended.
The AVAVRS remembered 12
ladies at their Saturday morning
breakfast meeting in a Memorial
Service using our President’s
theme Oh, the places we will go or
have been. These 12 ladies had
served the AVAVRS well over the
years. One was a Life Member of
AVAVRS, Virginia Walters, and
one a past President and Life
Member, Jo House
P a g e 2 6 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
cool crisp fall weather.
Remember to let me know if
anyone needs cards for sickness,
sympathy or good news.
We have already had one death in
AVAVRS since conference- Mary
Jane “Mickey” Harden of
Winchester Auxiliary.
A very deserving, Clara Craig
from Bassett received the
"Outstanding Service Award" on
Saturday morning.
A big thank you goes to each of
you who helped sell the VAVRS
and AVAVRS Raffle tickets. Your
hard work paid off by raising
funds for both organizations. I
know that Stacey and Tracey
Frame appreciated all of the help
selling the 50/50 tickets on
Saturday night. The profit from
this was excellent and Patsy
Wingfield was a happy winner.
In the weeks and months ahead I
hope to attend at least one
meeting in each district. Please
know that I am always available if
you have any questions or
concerns. Together we will be
"Charting a Course to Success".
Oh, the Places We Have Been
Submitted by Sharon Karlet Campbell, AVAVRS President
What a fantastic time we had
during the 2014 AVAVRS
Conference. As usual it was great
hearing how much time and money
the auxiliaries across the state
had donated to their squads and
support groups. Each of you
deserve a pat on the back.
Special congratulations go to all of
the winners of the Scrapbook
competition. Honorable Mention
went to Waynesboro, Cave Spring
placed 4th, Colonial Beach won 3rd
place with Glade Spring placing
2nd and Bensley Bermuda winning
1st place. The Western District
won the district competition with
the Midwestern District placing
2nd.
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 2 7
Brunswick 1st place Truck Competition
District 2 Junior Meeting
District 2 Junior Meeting
L-R: District 2 Junior VP Elect Maygan Clary
and Alternate Arron Whitby
EMT Competition
1st place Southside Emergency Crew
2nd place Greensville Vol. Rescue Squad
VAVRS
District Two
Photos from the
District 2 meeting held August 23rd
at Brunswick Vol. Rescue Squad submitted by Danny Clary, NRP
P a g e 2 8 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
to earn more winning tickets to
increase their chances at winning
one of the great prizes at the end
of the night. Participants would
watch other players at they placed
their bets at the Texas Hold’Em
tables.
As the night came to an end the
kids turned in their winning
tickets for a chance to win from
the prize table. Each Junior would
also receive a VAJVRS Water
Bottle for taking part in the
Casino Night.
We would like to thank the
following individuals and
businesses that donated
prizes for the event:
Firehouse Subs
Chick-Fil-A
Steve Dove
LifeCare Medical
Transports
Tasha Browne
Red Lobster
Submitted by Steve Dove
During the 80th Annual VAVRS
Conference held in Virginia Beach
in September the VAJVRS hosted
a Casino Night for everyone to
take part in. The event was very
well attended by the Juniors that
attend the Conference. The
Casino Night was such a success
the prior year, at this year’s event
we tripled the number of gaming
tables.
In lieu of the Presidents Reception
the Juniors held this event for
everyone to take part in. The
Sunset Ballroom at the Virginia
Beach Resort & Conference Center
was transformed into a Vegas
style Casino where attendees
could learn how to win big at a
Blackjack table. They would take
their chances on breaking the
bank at the Roulette table. They
would roll the dice down the Craps
table hoping to add to their
collection of winning chips. Kids
enjoyed spinning the Money Wheel
CVS Pharmacy
Stafford Volunteer Rescue
Squad
Fern Puckett
VAVRS
H.A. Dove & Sons
Kings Dominion
Karen Wagner & Gary Dalton
We would also like to thank the
following sponsors for their
financial contribution to help
support the Casino Night
Virginia Association of
Junior Volunteer Rescue Squad’s Casino Night
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 2 9
Photos Taken at VAJVRS Casino Night—Submitted by Steve Dove
P a g e 3 0 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
We would also like to thank the following
sponsors for their financial contribution
to help support the
Casino Night:
Special Thanks
to our Corporate
Sponsor
Golden Living
Centers Pictured
on right is
Victoria
Fetherolf,
Director of
Admissions/
Marketing with
the VAJVRS
Officers.
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 3 1
P a g e 3 2 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Submitted by Rickey Hodge, VAVRS President
The 80th Conference of the
Virginia Association of Volunteer
Rescue Squads is in the books !! It
was a great week for competitions
as well as business being taking
care of by the BOG’S. I was so
honored to start the week off by
having dinner with the Past
President’s on Wednesday evening.
I was in a room with men and
women that have stood as I do in
meetings and honestly face the
same issues and just to be with
these great people was an honor.
We then had the Opening
Ceremony and I stand before you
again honored to have Va. Beach
Rescue Color Guard present our
Flags. As being a Gold Star Parent
of our Military I can’t tell you how
moved I am when we pay tribute to
our Flag and Country. On Thursday
the competitions got into full swing
as did our first BOG Meeting. This
was followed by the 1st Annual
Picnic at 4pm at Red Oak Park. I
want to thank Bruce Edwards and
the City of Va. Beach for all they
did to make this event happen The
facilities were great to have our
picnic. The food was awesome as I
have never had a catered meal as
good as it was and the price was
very affordable. Thanks to
Chesterfield Insurers for their
support in this. We made the
decision early on to discontinue the
President’s Reception on Friday
night for the cookout. Conference
or Convention is and should be a
family event. It takes families to
allow us to serve our communities
and we owe each and everyone a
good time. I heard many
compliments on the cookout and
how good it was to share a meal
and be able to catch up with old
friends. I’m pretty sure everyone
who attended was Happy Happy
Happy when they left. I look
forward to the 2nd Annual Picnic
at our next Conference. I was
honored to attend the Life
Member Breakfast on Friday
morning. Over 1900 years of
combined service to the
Commonwealth of Va. was in
attendance this year. True Hero’s
each and everyone. I want to
welcome Jack Morgan, Doug
Eberhardt and Greg Burton as the
newest Life Members of our
Association. We did not have
anyone for the Virginia Lifesaving
Hall of Fame this year and I’m sure
that there are members worthy of
at least a nomination. To nominate
someone, go to the vavrs.com
website and download the
application and rules. Remember
the application has to be in the
State Office by December 31st to
be considered for the coming year.
I want to congratulate the newly
elected officers for the coming
year and look forward to working
alongside them. I told them on
Sunday morning that I will not ask
them to do anything that I won’t
do myself and I won’t hesitate to
From the VAVRS President
was so ill for a long time. We sure
miss her being here. I can tell you
that is a home that was full of love
and I can just walk in anytime and
sit down with them and feel like a
son to them. I have a lot of
respect for Kelly as he has always
been a great friend. The many
years of service that he has given
the Christiansburg Rescue Squad
and now the Riner Rescue Squad
speaks as an example to us all what
a great hero Kelly is. Wayne and I
have known each other since the
8th grade of school and have done
a lot together. The statute of
limitations doesn’t allow me to
elaborate any further. But I can
tell you that Wayne and I are
great friends and there isn’t much
we haven’t done over the years.
Wayne joined Blacksburg Fire-
do it myself if they won’t or can’t
for some reason. I think they know
where I’m coming from. We are
here to serve you!! The highlight
was the Saturday Evening
Memorial Service and Awards.
Many thanks to Darlene Ferguson
for a very good service to
recognize the folks that had
passed away this past year. The
many awards and the enthusiasm
were very overwhelming as there
is so much passion by you the
members in competing. I would like
to thank a few people for making
this night very special. Kelly
Walters and Wayne Myers who did
the Installing of our Officers for
the coming year. It was so good to
have Kelly back with us this year
as he has been absent the last few
years taking care of Virginia who
Rescue in 1976 and has served
faithfully since, as Chief for 8
years. To Ford, Ronnie, Jack and
Mike... Thanks for your hard work
all week long to make this
Conference so enjoyable for our
members. Thanks to all the judges
that come down every year and do
such a great job as well. The
entire Conference committee did a
great job. I thank you. This
article would not be complete if I
didn’t thank Page Entsminger for
the phone calls, support and most
of the great friend he is. If we
all could be like Page. Love ya
buddy. I will close for now and will
do my best to see you at a District
meeting soon. If I don’t see you,
have a Great Thanksgiving and
Merry Christmas and be safe.
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 3 3
Photos taken at the VAVRS
Conference during the
Vehicle Extrication Competition
by Greg Burton and
submitted by Kate Burton
P a g e 3 4 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Submitted by Karen Wagner, VAVRS EMS Leadership Challenge Coordinator
SEPTEMBER 2014
When the candidates of the EMS
Leadership Challenge began the
program by attending the
Leadership Challenge Summit in
June of 2014, each of them came
with a different expectation as to
what they would acquire out of the
program. One common premise,
however, was a desire for
discovering ways in which they
could create success in their lives.
They weren’t looking for the latest
fad or “program of the month”,
instead each of them were in
hopes of capturing a piece of the
magic they witnessed in others
who they knew to be highly
successful leaders. They wanted to
emulate those strong role models
and Sharpen their Focus, Build
their Competence and Ignite their
Passion.
At the 80th Anniversary
Conference of the Virginia
Association of Volunteer Rescue
Squads, each of those graduates
was given the opportunity to
receive certification as a Gold
Standard Leader. The graduates
were invited to reunite with their
fellow classmates from the
Summit and to participate in the
Gold Standard Leadership Project
Presentation Ceremony. At the
ceremony, these individuals
presented the leadership project
they had completed or were
currently working on along with a
summary of how they had
developed their goals, worked on
identified competency gaps, and
what they felt they had enhanced
by participating in the EMS
Leadership Challenge Program.
Each story has a theme that could
easily be shared by any agency
leaders statewide. It is those who
were successful by investing in
their learning or learning from the
failures of those that disengaged
that will help to strengthen our
EMS system statewide.
Here are some of the highlights
from our graduates of the EMS
Leadership Challenge
Steven Willougby joined a
volunteer agency with a 55 year
existence. In his professional life
he was employed in a position that
immediately gained him respect
from his peers, so as a new
member, with less than 10 years of
service, based on his background,
he was asked to take over a major
leadership role. Things were not
going so well. He had no one to talk
to about the challenges he was
facing, this was the first time he
lead individuals who were not
career subordinates to him and
they didn’t respond to the same
type of leadership he was
accustom to practicing. The agency
was struggling to meet its call
volumes, and members were leaving
because the changes that had to
be made were not widely accepted.
Steven thought if he could offer
the membership something to draw
them to the building, to get them
to hang out, he could improve the
culture. Challenges included finding
funding for needed equipment,
there was recruitment of
membership, meeting with local
government to get by in, and
cooperation with other leaders of
his and neighboring agencies. Steve
stated that “I learned how to
delegate which was something I
was really bad at, I learned to see
the big picture and not to think I
was the only one who knew how to
do something, and to let other
people take the lead, to mentor
and to accept mentoring as
constructive input. You can’t do
everything, pick the thing you want
to focus on and do the best you can
at it, the other things will fall into
place if you stay positive and
encourage coordination.”
Missy Tuttle-Ferrio is the PIO
for a large metropolitan
combination Fire and EMS station.
She was placed in the position to
help improve the membership
numbers for her agency. She has
only been involved with her agency
for a little over 2 years and coming
into her position, she knew a lot
about marketing and recruiting but
she knew little about EMS. Her
2014 EMS Leadership Challenge Graduation
the membership probationary
process. The agency has over 120
volunteers that serve in a variety
of roles. Of the last 10 members
who have completed or entered
into the new mentoring process, 7
are still an active member which is
an 85% increase in the
membership turnover rate. “I
learned so much about EMS in this
program, more than I had in the
two years at my agency. I have a
new respect for the leaders above
me and an even higher respect for
those who give of their time
freely to make our agency the
number one agency in our area.”
Jeremy Wampler moved in to a
leadership role as a result of
changes that occurred to a long
standing volunteer agency when it
became necessary to incorporate
career providers into the rank and
file. What Jeremy had once
considered his “relax time hanging
at the squad” became his
profession and being on the
employer side of the fence opened
his eyes to some of the
efficiencies or lack thereof in his
challenges started right off the
bat. “I didn’t see the road blocks;
I just got out there and went for
it, you know think outside the
box.” Some may think that would
set her up for success, however, in
EMS and Fire, there is an order
and to break into the system one
must “work within the system”, see
the rank and file and respect the
established protocols that make
up the history of the service. In
the completion of her Myers
Briggs assessment, Missy and her
mentor noted that her work style
was most likely the stumbling
block for her. As an owner of an
IT company, Missy decided that
she could incorporate what she
knew best into helping her find out
how the membership, leaders and
citizens they served wanted to
address her challenge. She polled
the membership and the leaders
separate and together and found
that members were “getting left
behind once they got in the
agency”. She worked with other
leaders of her agency to develop
check points that were critical in
agency. One of the first things
Jeremy had to overcome was
learning how to communicate with
the people he once served
alongside of as a volunteer. “At
first for some reason, when you
start doing EMS as your job, other
provides look at you differently,
like you are a trader or something,
but once they saw me as an
advocate that whole environment
changed.” Jeremy worked with the
membership to develop a mission
statement, something he had no
idea was even necessary until he
came to the Leadership Challenge.
He had never worked as a project
leader and in reality he had little
experience working on a project
team and he credits his learning
from the Leadership Challenge for
teaching him how to do so. His
project helped him to build trust
with the membership, to show
them the career staff was not
there to run them off or take
their position, but instead they
were there to make them a better
organization and make each of the
providers better at what they did.
He worked with the membership
to develop a program that utilized
quality assurance as its measuring
tool to assure that current
providers were at the needed
performance level as well as
assure that new providers start
out on the right foot. Jeremy
worked closely with his mentor
during his self study phase of the
program. They utilized his Myers
Briggs result to determine how he
related to people and how he could
make changes in his
communications to better his
mission. His mentor even visited
his agency to see his progression
which helped Jeremy to test the
(Continued on page 36)
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 3 5
P a g e 3 6 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
waters before he made
enhancements to his agencies
processes.
Steve Southworth was pleasantly
surprised when he received his
Gold Standard Leader Certificate.
When he left the Leadership
Challenge Summit he had barely
two sentences written out on his
one page plan. “Life got in the
way”, said Steve, as it does for
many leaders and sometimes what
seems like a good plan doesn’t
always go in the direction you
think it should. What carried
Steve through to complete his
Gold Standard Leadership status
were the now two complete pages
he had on his “one page” plan the
day he came to the presentation
ceremony. Steve was very active
as a summit participant. He
volunteered for the exercises in
class, he was one of the first
(Continued from page 35) candidates to complete his on line
assessment and he had his readings
and presentation work competed
way before the established
deadline. The problem he had in
completing his project and moving
into Gold Standard Leadership
status was time. At the time he
completed phase one and two of
the program, he walked away not
knowing for sure if he was going to
remain in the same leadership
position that his project was
focused on. Things turned out that
he was elected to serve and
remains in that same position, so
the hard work had to begin quickly
for him to complete his project in
a timely manner. All candidates of
the Leadership Challenge are
required to read the book Monday
Morning Leadership. The book
breaks down the basics of
leadership in a way that allows the
candidate to easily compare their
role to the eight principles of
leadership. Steve found that the
book provided him with immediate
answers that he could utilize to
fulfill the responsibilities of his
leadership position, in a time
effective manner. Steve stated
that in choosing his leadership
team, “they interviewed me as
much as I interviewed them and
creating the team was not easy, I
had to let go of the reigns and
allow the officers to do what they
do best.” Steve also found that
“hiring and firing” a person for a
volunteer position was challenging
but often necessary. “I respected
the people who had given years of
service, but had to recognize that
the positions needed a boost if we
were going to advance forward.”
Hire tough and you will succeed in
growing a stronger team.
Chris Henderson works for a
commercial ambulance service as a
manager for a large division of the
company. His employer recognized
the benefits of having their
management team attend the EMS
Leadership Challenge and since
2006 has been sending members to
receive the training. Chris started
his presentation by saying that he
more or less was ”made to come to
the training, but I learned so much
about myself and my leadership
style, I will encourage all the
members of our leadership team
who have not to attend and to
make it a priority.” What Chris
stated is the most common
reaction that candidates of the
program have. What started out as
“just another leadership program”
turned out to be the beginning of
lifelong learning. Chris focused on
his personal development in the
program; he recognized that he
had challenges knowing when to
talk and when to listen. “Before
someone could tell me what they
were thinking I was finishing their
sentence, I felt like I was wasting
time waiting for them to think
about what they wanted to say and
I had 100 things to do and just
wanted them to get it out so I
could get to what I needed to do.”
What Chris discovered was he
needed to hear what his team was
trying to tell him, they weren’t
happy and the confusion was
frustrating them and he was losing
control. When Chris finally
realized that he was the problem,
he started using the tips he
learned at the summit, like Keeping
the Main Thing the Main Thing.
2014 EMS Leadership Challenge...continued
certification, the EMS Leadership
Challenge plays an intricate role in
the progression of achieving EMS
ranking in Virginias EMS System.
The EMS Leadership Challenge
was developed as a self-
development leadership program
created exclusively for EMS
agency leaders through the
cooperation of the VAVRS and the
VA Office of EMS. As candidates
work with professional skills
development consultants and
instructors, and a system of
Accountability Mentors through a
program that takes a four step
approach to leadership
enhancement, the results is the
development of well rounded
leaders with the skills needed to
secure a productive and unified
EMS system for Virginia.
Step 1-Complete an online
assessment- This identifies your
leadership competency strengths
and areas for development.
Step 2-Attend the EMS
Leadership Challenge Summit- A
two day, 16 hour, workshop where
you work alongside other EMS
leaders like yourself solving
common agency problems,
identifying your personal
Chris gathered his staff and asked
them what would make their
scheduling easier so he could make
sure shifts were covered in a
timely manner. What he found was
that there were “16 different
ways for a staff member to make
a schedule request”. The staff
didn’t know what the management
wanted from them so he
addressed the issue and now the
one online process makes it quick,
paperless and simple for staff to
use. “I listened to the audio book,
7 Habits of Highly Effective
People. I talk a lot, but until now I
don’t think people listen to what I
was saying and I wasn’t hearing
what they were asking for, that’s
different now. It is just one of my
skills, but it was the best one to
start with and I am glad I did.”
The EMS Leadership Challenge in
its 10 years of existence has
gained statewide recognition as
the Gold Standard in EMS
Leadership training. As the Office
of EMS moves forward with the
development of EMS Officer
leadership goals, and focusing on
core EMS leadership success
competencies. At the summit you
meet your personal Accountability
Mentor who will be available to
help you through your self-study
development to help assure your
success.
Step 3-Self Study- You will
customize your personal One Page
Plan. Your plan will include required
readings, exercises and
applications that build on your
strengths and focus on
opportunities for your
development. In this phase your
Accountability Mentor will be
available to assist you to reach a
predetermined plateau in your
program participation process.
Step 4-Complete “Gold Standard
Leadership Project”. Candidates
choose a leadership project
utilizing their newly developed
skills. They complete a project
plan, keep a project journal, write
a final thesis and present their
project results to a team of EMS
professionals.
The EMS Leadership Challenge
enhancing the EMS system one
Leader at a time.
M a y / J u n e P a g e 3 7
P a g e 3 8 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
regions of concern.
Symptoms occur abruptly and
include:
* Early: sudden high fever,
headache, chills, muscle aches
* Late: skin rash, followed by
nausea, vomiting, chest pain, sore
throat, abdominal pain, diarrhea,
bleeding inside and outside of the
body
*Symptoms become increasingly
severe; may include jaundice,
severe weight loss, mental
confusion, shock, multi‐
organ failure
Incubation period ranges from 2‐
21 days; 8‐10 days is most common.
The disease is not communicable
until the patient begins exhibiting
signs and symptoms of the illness.
If the patient is exhibiting
symptoms consistent with Ebola,
especially if there is also fever,
providers should ask if the patient
Ebola Information for EMS Providers
has recently traveled or been in
contact with anyone who has
traveled to or through West
Africa during the previous 21
days, particularly the countries of
Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra
Leone.
As with other viruses and possible
communicable diseases, when
caring for patients suspected of
exhibiting signs of the Ebola virus,
providers need to practice
meticulous Body Substance
Isolation (BSI) procedures which
should include but may not be
limited to:
* Proper and often hand washing
with soap or alcohol‐based hand
sanitizer
* Proper wearing and disposing of
exam gloves when caring for
patient
* Changing of gloves between
patient
* Use of gowns, masks and eye
Submitted by Karen Wagner, VAVRS IDC Coordinator
On August 6, 2014, members of
the World Health Organization
(WHO) officially declared Ebola a
public health emergency of
international concern. Ebola Virus
Disease (EVD) also known as Ebola
Hemorrhagic Fever is one of the
world’s most virulent diseases and
is transmitted through direct
contact with the blood or bodily
fluids of an infected symptomatic
person or through exposure to
objects (such as needles) that
have been contaminated with
infected secretions. The WHO has
announced a cumulative total of
1,779 suspected and confirmed
cases of EVD throughout Africa
with 961 deaths to date. Although
no human illness has ever been
acquired or transmitted in the
Unites States, there is potential
for EMS providers to come in
contact with the virus through
infected people who have returned
from or been exposed to
individuals returning from the
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 3 9
that is used, including gloves,
masks, gowns, eye protection,
sharps, etc. at the ED in proper
containers for proper disposal.
If you need additional guidance on
BSI procedures or the use of BSI
equipment, you may contact the
Virginia Department of Health
(VDH), Office of Emergency
Medical Services, Division of
Emergency Operations or Division
of Education and Development.
Suspected cases of Ebola must be
reported to the VDH local health
departments immediately for
follow‐up.
If you think that you have been
exposed to Ebola virus or exhibit
any of the above symptoms you
should advise the hospital
caregivers, contact your
healthcare provider and your
public health office.
Early identification of symptoms
and implementation of proper body
substance control measures are
key factors in preventing further
transmission of this virus.
Ebola Information for EMS Providers
To find out more information
about Ebola virus, visit http://
www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html
or http://www.astho.org/Global-
Health/WHO-Statement-EC-
Ebola_8Aug2014/
protection if exposure to bodily
fluid is evident or suspected
* Limiting use of needles and
other sharps
* Avoiding aerosol generating
procedures, if possible
* Proper handling and disposal of
sharps
* Cleaning and sanitizing of
equipment and vehicles after
patient care including thorough
cleaning of all surfaces in
the ambulance using a bleach
solution, and the cleaning of all
equipment with a bleach solution
and or alcohol‐based equipment
cleaner. BE SURE TO WEAR
RUBBER GLOVES FOR YOUR
PROTECTION WHEN CLEANING.
* Consider washing all squad
uniforms at the squad/station and
leaving all uniform parts including
boots at the squad for protection
of family members
* Leave all disposable equipment
(Continued from page 38)
P a g e 4 0 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
of VAVRS. It was so much fun to
talk about things from the past,
traditions and what the future
could bring. I am looking forward
to doing this again next year.
Congratulations to all the
competition teams. Whether you
received a trophy or not everyone
is a winner. Competing is so much
fun. It gives you the chance to
practice your skills. It is not
about winning it is what you learn
from the experience and working
together as a team.
I encourage everyone to make
every effort to attend your
District Meetings. Encourage
other agencies and members to
attend them as well. The
information that is given out at
these meetings is important and
could affect how your agency
operates. It also gives you the
chance to meet the Officers that
represent and work for you across
the State.
The best recruiters for our
association is ourselves. Who can
better convey the message of
what VAVRS is and what VAVRS
can do for you than those that are
Submitted by Kim Craig, VAVRS Vice President
As I left the conference it is hard
to explain the feelings that I had.
I am excited to be your Vice
President and looking forward to
the coming year. I already have
many travels scheduled. I
attended Vinton Rescue Squad on
Sunday, October 5th in
Celebration of 75 years of
Service. On October 11th, I will
be attending the Celebration of 60
years at Manchester Rescue
Squad. Congratulations to Vinton
Rescue and Manchester for many
years of providing exceptional pre
hospital care to their community.
Again 2014 Conference was a
success. Thanks to everyone in
the planning of the event. Let us
not forget Kathy and Francis for
their hard work. Please if you have
any ideas and or things that you
liked about the Conference please
do not hesitate to contact the
Conference Committee. It takes a
lot of coordination to have
Conference so make sure to Thank
the ones that get the work done.
There is a lot of behind the scenes
work that begins way before one
conference ends to plan the next.
Spread the word to others about
what a great training, networking
and fun opportunity Conference is.
Over and Over again I have heard
how great the seminars were. We
need to remember this in our
future planning of marketing the
Conference.
The picnic in Virginia Beach at
Conference was the best. It was a
great chance to eat, relax and
visit with each other. I met so
many members and Life members
involved? We must sell ourselves.
It has been discussed in meetings
and amongst the District VP’s the
importance of marketing. About
how important it is that our
members understand and can
speak to the value and to the
resources that VAVRS offers.
One of our goals is to put some
speaking points together so that
we can communicate a consistent
message of what VAVRS can do
for you.
I would like to thank Staunton-
Augusta Rescue Squad for
supporting me for the office of
VAVRS Vice President. My
involvement with the Squad led me
to my involvement with VAVRS. I
have learned so much through my
many years at Staunton-Augusta
Rescue Squad. Sometimes easy
lessons and sometimes very hard
lessons. But no matter what, it
has and continues to be a joyous
ride.
Most of all I would like to Thank
my husband, John, who has stood
by me through thick and thin. He
has not only stood by me but with
me. My many accomplishments
From the VAVRS Vice President
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 4 1
could not have been done without
his love and support.
Holidays are approaching very
quickly. Remember to take this
time to be Thankful for what you
have. Remember we continually
enjoy our freedom because of the
men and women who fight for our
country and who have fought for
our freedom. They give up their
time with family during the
holidays so that we can enjoy the
holidays with our families. God
Bless them.
Wishing you and your family a
very special Holiday season!!!
Photos taken at the
VAVRS Conference during
the Vehicle Extrication
Competition by Greg
Burton and submitted by
Kate Burton
the squad, he has served as
President, Vice President,
Secretary, Maintenance,
Lieutenant, Captain and Fund Drive
Chairman for numerous years.
Glenn was presented with Life
Membership to the Staunton-
Augusta County First Aid & Rescue
Squad in 1980. This is an honor
that is earned, not just for years
of service but involvement as an
officer and different committees.
His involvement with the Squad led
him to his involvement with
VAVRS. He served as District 1
VP for eight terms. The VAVRS
Life Membership Committee
makes recommendations to the
Board of Governors annually at
Conference to elevate a member
who the committee deems has
rendered a great service to the
Association to the status of Life
Member. Glenn E. Drumheller was
bestowed the honor of Life
Membership to VAVRS in 2000 for
his great service to the
Association. He continues
to serve the Squad as our
Wednesday dispatcher. He
also serves District 1 on
the Life Membership
committee for the District.
He was one of the first to
receive District 1 Life
Membership. He attends
Conference every year and
participates in the BOG
meetings.
The “Wall of Honor”
consist of awards from
Years of service with the
Squad, District 1 and
VAVRS. His Life
Membership plaques stand
Submitted by Kim Craig, Life Member of Staunton-Augusta County Rescue Squad, VAVRS Vice President
How many of us can say we have a
“Wall of Honor”…
Well… Glenn E. Drumheller can.
Glenn is celebrating 45 years of
service with the Staunton-Augusta
County First Aid & Rescue Squad,
Inc.
Glenn E. Drumheller joined the
Squad in 1969 when Richard M.
Nixon was inaugurated as the 37th
President of the United States,
Apollo 11 astronauts take man’s
first walk on the moon, Sesame
Street debuts, the Woodstock
festival, Average cost of a house
was $15,550.00, average income
per year was $8,550.00, a new car
cost $3,270.00 and the most
popular toys were GI Joe and
Barbie. William H. “Bill” Baker was
VAVRS President, East Hanover
Rescue Squad began operation,
Southside Emergency Crew
dedicated their new headquarters,
Lynchburg Life Saving Crew
celebrated its 35th anniversary,
the Auxiliary Eastern District
approved the creation of
Northeastern and Southeastern
District, Spring BOG was May 10
and Convention was August 22.
Times have changed but one thing
that hasn’t changed is Glenn’s
loyalty, dedication and
commitment to the Staunton-
Augusta County Rescue Squad.
Glenn has devoted his life to
serving the squad and the
community. During his time with
out the most.
The VAVRS
Vice
President’s
award is one
that he
received more
than once.
Glenn proudly shows his wall to
family and friends. I wanted to
show it to you because we are the
lucky ones to know him, to be
friends with him and for him to be
the one who represents our squad.
Thank you Glenn, for your many
years of service. I am sure that
there will be many more to come
and we can keep adding to your
wall.
Congratulations to the Staunton-
Augusta County Rescue Squad
Vehicle Rescue Team for winning
first place. This is the third time
our team has won the Ronald
Brubeck Memorial, 1st Place –
P a g e 4 2 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
“Wall of Honor” A Tribute to Glenn Drumheller
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 4 3
Chancellor Volunteer Fire and Rescue Honor Guard - Left to right:
Bill Bryce, Tony Dennis, Dan Butler, Kurt Murray, Matt Burgett
Left to right
above: Assistant
Chief D. Paxton,
Vice President/Fire
First LT R. Knick,
President/Fire First
LT K. Morris, Chief
T. Mullins,
Treasurer R. Keen,
Rescue LT L.
Cartwright,
Sergeant-at-Arms
D. Bruce, D.Altizer
Submitted by Kevin Dillard, Administrative Chief, Chancellor Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Charter, life, and current
members of Dunlap Volunteer Fire
and Rescue recently gathered with
invited guests to celebrate the
founding of the Department in
July 1964.
In a surprise tribute to the
Department members, the
Chancellor Volunteer Fire and
Rescue Department (Spotsylvania
County) Honor Guard traveled to
Covington to take part in the
festivities. Members of the Honor
Guard making the trip to Dunlap
were Kurt Murray, Bill Bryce, Tony
Dennis, Matt Burgett and piper
Dan Butler.
After the invocation led by
William "Perry" Vail, charter and
life member of Dunlap, all enjoyed
a scrumptious meal prepared and
served by A Cut Above Catering
from Boones Mill, VA. Guest
speaker for the evening was Mr.
Jimmy Byer, 2nd Vice President of
the Virginia State Firefighters
Association.
While there were many memorable
moments throughout the evening
the most long-lasting was the
presentation by the Chancellor
Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Department Honor Guard to the
Dunlap membership of a
Department flag. Each time it
flies, it will be a symbol of pride
and a reminder of the service the
men and women of the Department
have made and continue to make to
the citizens of western Alleghany
County.
Dunlap Volunteer Fire and Rescue - 50 Years of Service -
P a g e 4 4 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Back to the Basics...Leadership 101
to provide yourself and others
with MEASURABLE RESULTS.
It is important for every
officer to provide those they
represent with measurable
results. It holds the officer
accountable, it allows members
to verify results, and it allows
the organization to stay
focused on its mission. At
the VAVRS the
tradition has
been to provide
that information to
the membership by means of
the officer and committee
reports thus the first step in
showing measurable results is
to make sure you journal your
actions and results and provide
a report at every meeting your
attend. Base your report on
actions not obligations.
Measurable results are not for
the purpose of trying to
determine if an individual was
the right person for the job or
popular with the membership of
the organization, instead the
results are to be used for the
purpose of knowing how far the
organization has advanced,
remained stable, or needs to
change in order to continue
their mission based on the
actions of the leader reporting.
As a leader you have to visit
your Action Plan on a regular
basis when you are working
toward a goal. Things change
and failure to review your
action plan will not allow you to
update your direction based on
the results you are
experiencing. Sometimes the
rules, bylaws, or operating
procedures get in the way of
reaching your goal and if you
are not reviewing your action
plan you will not be able to
determine what is holding you
back from success.
Each office is obligated
through its job description to
provide a specific function.
Let’s use the job description/
duties of the Chaplain as an
example…. The Chaplain is to
provide supportive care with
substantive content to our
membership. What if that care
included but goes beyond the
comfort of a listening ear.
What if the members could
utilize the Chaplain to help
reduce conflict at their squad?
What if the Chaplain was
someone in the organization
who, when invited, could help
coach staff and management to
communicate with one another
in a healthier way? What if the
Submitted by Karen Wagner, Coordinator EMS Leadership Challenge
During the interview process
with the Nominating
Committee, candidates
were asked the question “At
the end of the year, how will
you measure how successful you
were in your office?” Wow,
what a great question to ask a
candidate seeking support and
what a super topic to start off
my article… Back to the
Basics…Leadership 101.
First…To be successful at
anything, you must determine
what it is you want to do…SET
A GOAL. Next, you have to
outline a course to get you to
your goal …DEVELOP AN
ACTION PLAN, and finally you
have to determine how long or
how much time you will allow
yourself to reach your goal…
MAKE A TIME LINE. If all
goes well you will be successful
and most certainly will be able
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 4 5
happier, and more productive
EMS system statewide. This is
your ACTION PLAN.
Now you are ready for
MEASURABLE RESULTS… set
yourself up for success, think
about what is offered as a
service and how in your role as
an officer will you address that
service to meet the needs of
the membership.
What will be measured?
What our members needs and
wants are
Do you possess the skills and
knowledge bases required to
deal with the various types of
demands which your office
faces and what is available at
the present
Do you have any supporting
materials required for your
office to deliver its service and
what is available at present
Do you have information
requested by members and are
we appropriately communicating
this
What were the reasons for
‘failed’ interactions if and when
they occur
What were the successes in
meeting members demand
What was planned, has it been
carried out
What were the results of
problem solving
Results of Actions not records
of obligations
What should not be measured?
How “many” of anything you did
The number of phone calls,
visits, and miles traveled or
meetings attended.
To serve as an officer your
Goals, Action Plan, Time Line
and Measurable Results must
focus on addressing member
needs. You have to be engaged
with the membership, the EMS
system, and the mission of the
organization. Your members will
hold you accountable, they want
you to provide reports at each
meeting, articles in each issue
of the Lifeline and they need
you to work closely with the
other members of your
leadership team to assure that
you are meeting your obligation
as an officer. So….what are
your goals, what should we
expect to see as your plan of
action, and this year what will
your measurable results be?
Chaplain could help increase
management effectiveness
through improving
communications, what if the
Chaplain could help to show an
agency how to better address
these issues? These are
GOALS…. This is how an
officer should sets goals; take
your job description, look at
the needs of your membership,
and determine what you want
to do to address those needs
so as to make the organization
stronger.
When an officer starts
thinking about how they are
going to reach a goal, they have
to think far beyond their
duties and job description,
they should be thinking about
the membership, reflecting on
the boots on the ground, the
people who spend the majority
of their working lives out on
the street providing care to
the sick and injured. Some may
say you need to think outside
the box… but the true leader
will forget there is a box and
instead not waste time but
take the opportunity to help to
create a climate that makes
providers better people, thus
the byproduct will be a better,
W. S.
Dear Warren,
There are twelve. Just listen to
the song, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer". Sure, in the
introduction it goes "There's
Dasher and Dancer and Prancer
and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and
Donner and Blitzen..." That makes
eight reindeer. Then there's
Rudolph, of course, so that makes
nine. Then there's Olive. You know,
"Olive the other reindeer used to
laugh..." That makes ten. The
eleventh is Hal. You know, "Then
Hal, the reindeer loved him..."
Eleven reindeer. Oh, and number
12? That's Andy! "Andy shouted
out with glee." The proof is in the
song!
Dear Rescue Ranger,
Last week our squad was called to
a retired NASA employee’s home.
The former astronaut had a
severe rash on the planter surface
of both feet. He could barely walk
and was in extreme pain. We
documented his severe athlete’s
foot and transported. Neat guy to
talk to, just thought I would
share.
S. S.
Dear Mr. Southworth,
You may want to put an addendum
on your ePCR because if athletes
get athletes foot, astronauts get
………..Missletoe!
Dear Rescue Ranger
Dear Rescue Ranger,
We were discussing behavioral
emergencies in EMT class the
other night and someone asked,
“What do you call a patient that is
afraid of Santa Claus? I didn’t
know, do you?
R. A.
Dear Randy,
Yes, they are Claustrophobic.
Dear Rescue Ranger,
I saw you volunteering at the mall
and helping Santa hand out
presents and candy. You didn’t
look happy. Why was Santa's little
helper depressed?
S. W.
Dear Scott,
I guess I was suffering from low
elf esteem.
Dear Rescue Ranger,
My children and I made a huge
snowman and they were wondering
what you feed a snowman for
breakfast. Do you know?
G. B.
Dear Gary,
Ice Crispies
Dear Rescue Ranger,
Tell me a Christmas story that I
can share with the crew at our
holiday party.
M. B.
Dear Mike,
T'was the night before Christmas
and all through the EMT’s house,
Not a creature was stirring, not
even a mouse. The stockings were
hung by the chimney with care.
They'd been worn all week and
needed the air.
Dear Rescue Ranger,
I grew up believing that Santa has
9 reindeer. I heard you think that
is incorrect. What makes you
think so?
P a g e 4 6 O f f i c i a l P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e V A V R S
Dear Rescue Ranger,
My son asked me the other day,
“Dad, you are a trained rescue
technician, what would you do if
Santa got stuck in our chimney?
I didn’t know what to tell him, can
you help.
Bubby
Dear Bubby,
Tell him you will pour Santa flush
on him!
Dear Rescue Ranger,
What’s a good tip for the holiday?
B B
Dear Bubby,
Never catch snowflakes with your
tongue until all the birds have gone
south for the winter.
Q: What Christmas song is hidden
in the alphabet: A B C D E F G H I
J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y
Z?
A: Noel (No "L")
Knock knock
*Who's there?
Mary!
*Mary who?
Merry Christmas
M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 4 P a g e 4 7
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PO Box 279
2535 Turkey Creek Road
Oilville, VA 23129
ISSN 0279-6023
Phone: 804-749-8191
Phone: 800-833-0602
Fax: 804-749-8910
E-mail: [email protected]
"Greater Love Hath No Man Than
This, That A Man Lay down His
Life For His Friends." John 15:13
Virginia Association of Volunteer
Rescue Squads, Inc.
The Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads is THE voice of EMS…. the advocate for our members, Virginia’s EMS agencies and providers. We link members
and agencies for the purpose of sharing ideas, giving you a voice at the General Assembly, on state advisory boards, as well as on state and local committees. When our members have training issues or needs, they come to the VAVRS.
When our members need assistance from leadership to budgets they come to the VAVRS. We help rescue squads throughout the Commonwealth thrive and succeed so they can provide prompt, effective patient care 24/7 in the communities they serve.
Celebrating our 80th Anniversary
HAVING AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR NEEDS
AND GOALS IS THE WAY WE SERVE YOU
Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads, Inc.
PO Box 279 2535 Turkey Creek Road
Oilville, VA 23129
(800)833-0602 (804)749-8191
Website: www.vavrs.com
Email: [email protected]