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Local Government & Politics

Virginia Beach aims to recruit more volunteer paramedics amid shortage

The Virginian-Pilot
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Traci Wagner hugs Karen Cassidy an EMT inside the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad, Station 14. Traci and her husband Nick had to pull off North Great Neck Road on their way to the hospital in February 2019 and call for paramedics. Their daughter, Layla, was delivered on the EMS stretcher as Traci entered the delivery room at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital. Traci wanted to meet and thank the people who helped deliver her baby.

Traci Wagner hugs Karen Cassidy an EMT inside the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad, Station 14. Traci and her husband Nick had to pull off North Great Neck Road on their way to the hospital in February 2019 and call for paramedics. Their daughter, Layla, was delivered on the EMS stretcher as Traci entered the delivery room at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital. Traci wanted to meet and thank the people who helped deliver her baby. (L. Todd Spencer)

VIRGINIA BEACH — When you call for an ambulance in Virginia Beach, volunteer emergency medical technicians will likely be among those coming to help.

Ambulance service in Virginia Beach is free and primarily provided by volunteers who work in Virginia Beach’s 10 rescue squads. Emergency Medical Services also relies on paid paramedics who make up about 10% of the department.

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In recent years, the volunteer numbers have declined, mostly as a result of the pandemic.

“We are still recovering from that,” said Bruce Nedelka, EMS interim chief.

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Interim Chief Bruce Nedelka said Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services and its corps of volunteers stand as a model for cities everywhere.

Interim Chief Bruce Nedelka said Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services and its corps of volunteers stand as a model for cities everywhere.

According to city leaders, the department is lacking enough resources to staff ambulances efficiently, leading to an increase in response times.

In 2022, an ambulance was not immediately available 10.2% of the time. In some cases, it took 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive after a call came into 911, according to data provided by the department.

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In this next budget cycle, Nedelka plans to ask the City Council for more help to provide consistency in the number of ambulances available during each shift, which will lighten the load on the existing volunteers and paid staff, who have been working long hours, he said.

The department recently hired 20 new paramedics, but will need more to close the gap while volunteers are trained, Nedelka said.

To help recruit more volunteers, the department’s fundraising arm, Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation, launched a $700,000 advertising campaign in 2022. It plans to ramp up those efforts again this year after seeing more people step forward in recent months.

“We are seeing an uptick not only in applicants but in the number of people training in the academy,” said Gina Benefiel, the foundation’s executive director.

An ambassador program pairs more experienced volunteers with new applicants. Students do not have to live in Virginia Beach, and they can have no experience. The training is free.

Plans are in the works to add more academy classes, field experiences and mentoring opportunities, Nedelka said. Learn more at vbrescue.org.

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Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

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