BEDFORD (WSLS 10) - Major changes are underway at one of the region's oldest life-saving crews. A local non-profit emergency rescue squad, the Bedford County Life Saving Crew, located in the town of Bedford, will now hand over management reigns to the county department.
The chairman of the Bedford County Live Saving Crew Board foundation says that they have gotten so short on volunteers, that the percentage of 911 calls they've been able to respond to in the past few months has been down in the single digits.
When the Bedford Life Saving Crew was first formed in 1943, Board chair John Messier says it was fully staffed by volunteers. Much like trends now seen across Virginia and even the U.S., volunteerism isn't as prevalent as it once was.
Messier says staffing became an issue in 2011 and that they made changes then, but it wasn't enough.
"There were things that worked, but the trend always was, is that the number of calls, the percentage decreased, year after year," Messier said.
The foundation has several hundred thousand dollars saved for training and other necessary costs, but Messier says there just isn't enough people willing to volunteer to do the job. He says although making the decision to reach out to the county for help was tough, it was the right thing to do.
Bedford Life Saving & First Aid Crew Q & A Is the Bedford Life Saving Crew going out of business or folding? No. The...
Posted by Bedford Life Saving Crew on Wednesday, March 22, 2017
"But at the end of the day, we have to look out for the people in our first route in our due area that dial 911 and want emergency medical help. And quite honestly, they don't care whether a red ambulance shows up that's career staff or a white ambulance that's staffed by volunteers. They want help. And this is a way to continue that and enhance EMS providing in this area," Messier said.
Bedford County fire and rescue Chief Jack Jones points out just how big of an area that crew covers. It's one of the largest, if not the largest in the county.
Jones says that fire and rescue squads have to be run like businesses and that a volunteer staff can't always handle that full-time responsibility.
To increase response times, the Bedford County fire and rescue will now manage the Bedford County Life Saving Crew staffing. Jones says that means adding staff as necessary, allowing volunteers to more freely give their time where it's needed, and most importantly how they want to give.
He says often, volunteers want to be trained and volunteer their skills with helping others.
"They don't want to manage vehicles, do routine maintenance needed in the building and volunteer more time with fundraising," Jones said. "So, going down this road and having the opportunity for volunteers to simply come in, do training and sign up to be on a shift or two and do calls with our partners and their staff, we are freeing up a lot of other duties. We are taking them on ourselves."
Jones says if the move is approved by the Bedford County Board of Supervisors, those changes could go into effect April 1. Messier says the foundation will still be managed by the Bedford County Life Saving Crew and will be used for scholarship, training and educational purposes.
Jones says the fiscal responsibility would be transferred at the next fiscal year, on July 1.