THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 10, 1995 TAG: 9502080250
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04B EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Teens At Large
SOURCE: BY MISSY ROPER, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
It's the race against time or possibly the race to save a life.
Every day Virginia Beach citizens risk their lives trying to save others. These people are emergency medical technicians, 891 rescue squad volunteers who open their hearts to help others.
``You have to have a big heart because you have early mornings and late nights,'' said Sharon Barish, an emergency medical volunteer at Station 5, near Princess Anne Courthouse.
They work for the 11 volunteer rescue squads of Virginia Beach. Squad members have many reasons for volunteering. Many want hands-on experience to help them get into other fields. Others go into rescue because they have an interest in the medical field, but don't know exactly which way they want to go.
``It helps to give you an insight into the medical field,'' said David Bartlett, an emergency medical volunteer at the Courthouse station.
``Working with the people is exciting because you make a difference in a person's life and that feels good,'' said Debbie Kelly, an emergency medical technician at Station 9 in Kempsville.
Volunteers are required to attend a year of training and must work a minimum of 48 hours a month on the rescue squad.
These hours are usually worked in 12-hour shifts although a few real go-getters work 24-hour shifts.
Today technicians wear protection gloves, suits and splasher shields to protect them from contracting contagious diseases. Each year workers get hepatitis-B shots and vaccine shots to control communicable diseases.
But in addition to the physical risks, workers can face mental strain. A shift for an emergency medical services worker doesn't always have a happy ending. Sometimes a child is badly hurt or an elderly person dies. Sometimes all they do is not enough.
``It has its ups and downs but kids are the hardest,'' said Chuck Ellard of the Kempsville station.
Recently emergency medical workers have been given a hotline to call 24 hours a day to help them deal with job-related stress. Sometimes they need that extra encouragement after a bad experience. In addition, a psychologist comes in occasionally to talk with each rescue squad worker. But squad members also talk to each other. They say it's just like a family at the stations.
Hampton Roads has one of the largest volunteer teams within the United States. There are over 7 million people nationally working to save others' lives.
The volunteer teams in Virginia Beach get all their equipment from donations that the community gives them - from ambulances to Band-Aids. The city provides fuel and insurance. But the workers are glad to do it.
``We're giving back to the community,'' said Kelly of the Kempsville station. ILLUSTRATION: ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa L. Roper is a junior at Bayside High School
by CNB