Jurisdiction City of Virginia Beach Dept. type Volunteer Based BLS or ALS ALS | Total area (sq. miles) 310 Employees 1100+ Ambulances 40 | |
The Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services is the largest volunteer based EMS system in the United States and provides emergency medical services to the residents and visitors of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Since the 1940s Virginia Beach has offered free pre-hospital emergency services through 10 volunteer rescue squads supported by 1,100+ volunteers throughout the city. Virginia beach EMS has also been a leader in a variety of pre-hospital technologies including 12-lead transmission, EZ-IO technology and therapeutic hypothermia, rapid sequence induction, video laryngoscope, end tidal CO2 monitoring, STEMI and Stroke programs and community CPR, among others. These programs and more have contributed to the 36% cardiac arrest survival rate (2012). In February 2016, Edward Brazle was appointed Interim Chief of the department. In July 2016, he was appointed Chief of the Department. In Aug 2016, Jason Stroud and Tom Green were appointed Deputy Chiefs of the department. Stroud is currently Deputy Chief of Operations, and Green is currently Deputy Chief of Administration.
Contents
History
Beginning in the 1940s, the need for consistent pre-hospital care became apparent and independent rescue squads began providing coverage to various neighborhoods throughout the city. For example, in 1951 a car accident at 24th and Atlantic left a women without care for more than an hour because the Fire Department's ambulance was out of service and the Army Base Fort Story was reluctant to respond to civilians, promoting the formation of the Princess Anne-Virginia Beach Rescue Squad, Inc. to ensure consistent ambulance coverage for oceanfront residents and visitors.
By 1972, the Emergency Coronary Care Program evolved to provide the first all volunteer Advanced Life Support EMS in the United States. By 1975, 10 independent rescue squads had been established throughout the city each serving their community. But as the call volume increased and technology evolved, the city government recognized the need to centralize the various independent rescue squads and an administrative office was established to oversee all of the rescue squads. In 1984, the City Manager along with the City Council recognized the need for more formal organization and oversight of the individual squads from a medical direction and operations oversight standpoint and created the Emergency Medical Services Division as an independent city agency. The Division of Emergency Medical Services became a full city Department in 1990.
Transition From All Volunteer to Volunteer-Based
In 2004, recognizing the ever increasing demand for 24/7 Advanced Life Support and the need for consistent operational oversight, the department hired the first career paramedics and supervisors in the city's history. These 24 paramedics and 4 brigade chiefs began supplementing the volunteers and ensuring minimal staffing was always available. As the city's call volume continued to grow, by 2016 the city expanded the career paramedics and supervisors to include 8 paramedics, 2 captains and 1 brigade chief per shift.
2012 Navy Jet Crash
On April 6, 2012, a "catastrophic mechanical malfunction" occurred in a Navy F/A-18D fighter jet causing the jet to crash into an apartment building in Virginia Beach. Ultimately 3 buildings were completely destroyed and 2 additional buildings were damaged. Virginia Beach EMS was the responsible for all EMS activities throughout the incident. On duty at the time of the crash were 13 ambulances, 5 paramedic zone cars and 3 supervisors, but the volunteer system enabled 30 ambulances to be staffed with 170 volunteers involved within 1 hour of the initial incident.
Divisions
Virginia Beach EMS maintains an Operations Division and an Administrative Division to support the daily operations of the volunteer and career personnel. Chief Edward Brazle serves as the current Chief Operating Officer of the Department.
Operations Division
The Operations Division is responsible for the daily operations department wide, as well as the various Special Operations Teams. Career paramedics primarily staff ALS quick response zone cars, but can staff ambulances when needed. Volunteers may be assigned to ambulances or zone cars depending on their level of certification and the needs of the department that day. Career operations staff are assigned to one of 4 shifts which work 3 days on, 3 days off for 12-hour shifts. Each shift is overseen by a Chief Officer (Brigade Chief or higher) who functions as the Command Duty Officer (CDO), call sign EMS Chief 10 (ECH10), and 2 Captains who supervise half of the city each (EMS-1 and EMS-2). EMS-3 is reserved for volunteers. Deputy Chief Jason Stroud commands the Operations Division.
Special Operations
The special operations component of the operation division is primarily staffed by volunteers and functions as an adjunct to general pre-hospital operations. Current Special Operation Teams include the Bike Team, Marine Rescue Team, Search & Rescue Team, SWAT Medic Team, Squad Truck Team, Duty Field Supervisor Team & the Special Response MCI Team.
SWAT Medic Team
The SWAT Medic Team is made up of selected career and volunteer paramedics who support the Virginia Beach Police Department's SWAT Team. SWAT Medics train and respond with their police counterparts and respond to all SWAT calls including high risk search warrants, hostage rescues, sniper attacks and barricaded suspect situations. Team members are required to pass bi-annual physical tests to maintain their status on the team.
Marine Rescue Team
The Marine Rescue Team is responsible for all water related incidents within Virginia Beach. The team maintains 6 boats strategically placed throughout the city, a heavy duty dive truck, 2 quick response vehicles, 2 jet skies and an ATV. Team members qualify as boat crew members, boat coxswains, dive tenders, divers, rescue swimmers and vehicle operators. During the summer months, the team conducts weekend boat patrols on highly traffic waterways and beaches. They are one of seven nationally recognized by the United States Lifesaving Association as an Aquatic Response Team.
Squad Truck Team
The Squad Truck Team is tasked with responding to entrapments and pins throughout the city. Responding with 2 heavy rescue trucks (Squad 14 and Squad 16), the team utilizes "Hydraulic, Pneumatic, Powered and Non-Powered Tools" to perform complicated extractions. Both of the City's current squad trucks also double as mini Mass Causality Incident Trucks capable of responding and supporting large and evolving incidents. During the July 2014 tornado that hit the Virginia Beach Oceanfront that injured 10 along with significant damage and flooding, the Squad Truck Team played an active role in the evolving response and the causality collection center and command post that was established at station 14.
Administrative Division
The Administrative Division includes the main office, the EMS Training Center, the office of Continuous Quality Improvement, Human Resources, Oversight and Enforcement, the Departmental Evaluation Program, and the Infection Control and Compliance Program. Deputy Chief Tom Green currently commands this division.
Training Center
The EMS Training Center is co-located with the Virginia Beach Fire Department at the Fire & EMS Training Center. The Training Center staff is led by a Captain, currently Captain Jerry Sourbeer, and includes career paramedics assigned to training rotations and instructor supervisors. The training center holds multiple BLS academies throughout the year as well as BLS & ALS continuing education classes including ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, Difficult Airways, EVOC, CPR, EMS safety and more.
Programs
Virginia Beach EMS has long sought to be at the forefront of pre-hospital technology. Past and current innovative technologies utilized have included: Rapid Sequence Induction programs for qualified paramedics, therapeutic hypothermia, CPAP, surgical airways, BLS 12-lead EKG acquisition and transmission, Transport ventilators, Video Laryngoscope, EZ-IO drills for intraosseous access, BLS Narcan administration, Electronic EtCO2, Public access defibrillators, Mobile data terminals, Community vaccinations, STEMI programs, Medical friendly shelters, Community CPR classes.
Initiatives such as the STEMI Program have been validated through awards such as the American Heart Association's Bronze Mission Lifeline Award in 2015. Additionally, these programs have been contributed to the VB EMS cardiac arrest survival rate of 36%, which is more than three times national rate of 10.6%.