Pam Dudding
Contributing writer
Most people are not prepared for when emergencies happen. That is why many counties have professional Emergency Services.
Craig County is blessed to have a group of men and women who dedicate themselves to this job, whether they are paid or serve as a volunteer.
Jim Cady, Craig’s Emergency Services Coordinator, noted, “Craig County Emergency Services coordinates EMS staffing throughout the county, and there is a 24-hour per day, seven days a week staffing of at least one ambulance in Craig County.”
Cady also noted that a monthly calendar is kept with the names of the two people per shift who are responsible for staffing the ambulance when they are on the clock.
The Craig County EMS and Volunteer Rescue Squad are typically scheduled for every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday each month. The county paid EMS staff is responsible for 24 hours coverage for Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and any other shifts that the volunteer squad is unable to cover.
Said Cady, “Paint Bank volunteer rescue squad provides 24/7 coverage for all calls in their response area and are backed up by the on-duty scheduled County truck if Paint Bank Fire and Rescue does not have people available. Also, the staff on-duty ambulance crew is backed up by additional personnel and resources from other agencies when needed, including Roanoke County Fire and Rescue.”
The Fire departments and Sheriff’s department are also valuable resources to EMS. They provide vehicle extrication, drivers, lifting assistance and manpower as requested by medical staff.
Craig County Emergency Services consist of four full-time employees and 20 part-time employees.
“We staff with at least one advanced life support provider and one basic life support provider each shift we are scheduled throughout the month,” Darryl Humphreys, Station 9 Chief, explained. “We work with all first responder agencies in the county as needed to ensure that our citizens and those that are traveling in the county needs are met in emergency situations.”
Cady was quick to add, “We could not operate without the great help we get from our dispatchers. They are the first-first responders, for every call. They do a fantastic job during a bad situation. Their job is to determine what’s happening, who is needed, get that dispatched properly to the correct agencies and also deal with distraught callers.”
This year, Craig County Volunteer Rescue will be celebrating their 50th year as an established department. The squad has 16 members, five of whom are currently enrolled in the EMT class being held at the station.
“We have two first responders that are in the in Sinking Creek area that respond to the emergencies in that area answering for both departments when available,” Robert Wrzosek, Station 8 Chief of the Craig County Volunteer Rescue Squad, shared.
At times, the county has a staffed ambulance with a paid and volunteer EMT/Medic covering for the county.
“We should not forget our Craig County Search and Rescue Team (CCSRT) because they have provided valuable resources getting injured and lost hikers out of our forest and on our trails,” Cady said.
Mike Jones, EMS Divisions Chief, said, “The mission of the CCSAR Team is to provide assistance to law enforcement and other requesting agencies to locate missing or lost persons, as well as getting injured or sick persons out of the wilderness.”
CCSAR currently has 12 volunteer members. “They have an interest in the outdoors and helping their fellow man. They come from all walks of life, including nurses, pharmacists and first responders,” Jones said. “Members volunteer significant amount of personal time and money staying up-to-date on training requirements and ensuring they have the appropriate equipment and are responsible for providing and maintaining their own personal equipment.”
Members are also trained in Wilderness First Aid, orienteering and search tactics. “We are always looking for more members since Search and Rescue is a very resource intense activity,” Jones noted before adding, “As EMS Division Chief, I help ensure the citizens and visitors of Craig County have access to high-quality emergency medical services. I work with the Chiefs of each agency to ensure they have the resources needed to provide services.”
Jones started in EMS services when he was looking for a way to use his training and skill set to give back to his community. “The favorite part of my job is working with the people who make up the emergency medical services of Craig County,” he said.
Station 2 is the Paint Bank Volunteer Fire department and Rescue Squad which was formed in the 1960s to serve the community with fire and first-aid services which continue to this day.
Chief Tammy Hale shared that there are just three members left that remember the beginnings of the department.
“The Rescue squad runs the most calls and even though volunteer and the EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) go through the same trainings as a paid EMT would get,” he said. “These First Responders go through many hours of training and retraining to maintain their certification on their own time. Skills are also practiced at training nights held at various locations, not to mention fundraising to have money to keep up the electric bill, Wi-Fi, heating and maintenance of building, vehicle and supplies upkeep to mention a few.”
Their calls entail a wide range of needs. “It’s anything from allergic reactions, car/motorcycle/bicycle accidents, falls, hunting accidents, medical issues such as heart, stroke, diabetic illnesses, seizures, cancer and other illnesses,” Hale said. “We also have a high amount of geriatric patients, so therefore, we usually have falls and medical issues for those people.”
The Swinging Bridge Restaurant and the bed and breakfast in Paint Bank brings in customers from all over the world. “This presents us with actually having called for illnesses and accidents there too,” Hale mentioned. “Because of the amount of traffic, we also have more vehicle accidents and out of area patients, which poses a different set of issues.”
They have four EMTs at this time, covering Paint Bank from the top of Potts Mountain to the top of Peter’s Mountain, down Rt. 18 and into Monroe County, West Virginia, as needed.
“We also have mutual aid with the rest of Craig County, Monroe County and Allegheny County,” Hale noted. “This extends the time of our calls as well. A ‘short’ call is under three hours and four to five hours is not unusual; therefore, I am thankful for the people we have as this takes up most of their day to run a call.”
EMS is seeking new membership as their current workers are aging. “We need younger members to take over,” said Hale. “The department is in a very remote and large coverage area, therefore, very needed. Population is low because most are National Forest.”
“Outside agencies brought in can take up to an hour, depending on where the call is to get to the patient,” Hale added. “This takes up the ‘golden hour’ for very ill and hurt patients that need to get to the hospital quickly.”
Like most departments, they also have fundraisers. The fourth of July is their biggest and busiest. It is a meal with raffles (usually a gun and a quilt) and an auction where members gather merchandise from local merchants.
The Ladies Auxiliary does apple butter the first Saturday of October which pays for their insurance on building and vehicles.
“All members are here to help our communities,” Hale said. “The need is there, and I am thankful every day for the people in our EMS family. Several of us have been together in the department for over 30 years, making us a rather large, extended family.”
Because of their extensive coverage area, and dedication to other communities, Cady said, “In my opinion, Paint Bank Rescue is the shining star of volunteer rescue agencies nationwide. They answer almost all, if not all their calls and provide backup service answering the calls of their neighboring Jurisdictions. They never complain they simply, “get the job done.”
The Craig County Police are also a significant part of the needed emergency services. Sheriff Trevor Craddock shared that the primary goal of the Sheriff’s office is to protect and serve the citizens of Craig County.
He added, “The Sheriff’s office places a high priority on the safety of our citizens, schools, businesses, highways and the enforcement of our criminal, traffic and drug laws. Drug abuse is a leading factor in other types of criminal behavior, such as larceny to support the habit and burglary. I want citizens to feel free to, and we courage you to report suspicious activity, it is helpful to leave a name in case we find something, but is not required. The suspicious activities you report may help save you or your neighbors from being a victim of a crime.”
Current Deputies include: Chief Deputy Huffman, Master Deputy Nichols, Deputy Davis, Deputy Wrzosek, Deputy Lilley, Deputy Bryant, Deputy Crowder, Deputy May and Deputy Mitchell.
There are currently 11 Dispatchers: Birtsch, Dressler, Dunbar, Sink, Mattox, Arthur, Bellassai, Smith, Bradford, Price and McPherson.
CC Emergency Services was recently awarded a grant from the Virginia Department of Emergency Medical Services for a Lucas 3 Chest Compression System to help with patient care in cardiac arrest. “We also were awarded the same grant for a Stryker Stair Chair which will aid in moving patients up and down stairs,” Humphreys said.
He continued, “We would like to thank everyone for their support and if you are interested in volunteering with a Fire department or Rescue squad or the Search and Rescue team in your area, please visit or call their station.”
The Rescue Squad are hosting a 5k Walk & Run fundraiser on May 18.
Last year, Craig’s agencies ran over 700 calls. “All of our agencies work together to provide additional ambulances when needed,” Cady said. “These agencies willingly share equipment and resources to the other agencies when a need arises.”
“When you see a first responder, thank them for their time and help. We do this to help our community, no matter who you are,” Tammy Hale
Craddock added, “It is an absolute honor to serve the citizens of Craig County.”
