SOUTH HAMPTON COUNTY, Va. — The sprawling fields and acres of towering trees make Southampton County home for so many people.
While country roads have their perks, they also have hard-to-reach places for emergency vehicles.
“Being a predominantly rural community, we respond to farming accidents, hunting accidents, and a whole magnitude of emergencies that many of your urban departments do not respond to,” says Greg Vick, president of Southampton County Fire and Rescue.
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Vick says there have been many times responders have run into issues during a call because of the area’s rural terrain.
“In the past, our responders have had to go in on foot many times to help someone, just taxing our resources unnecessarily,” Vick says.
Knowing there was something they could do, the Southampton County Women's Leadership Committee got to work. In partnership with Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Company, Jeanette Everett and her team raised upwards of $35,000.
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"You just cannot imagine how elated I am over this,” Everett says.
Using that money, they gifted Southampton County Fire and Rescue an rugged terrain vehicle (RTV) a medic slide, and transport trailer.
“We've had some incidences within the last year that this would have been so beneficial, and we didn't have it,” says Everett.
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Vick says funding is difficult to come by these days and they could not afford to buy one.
“Just the sheer cost of all of the equipment involved made it impossible for us to achieve any time in the near future,” Vick says.
Though it took more than four years to get to this point, Everett says it was personal for her, and everyone at the donation ceremony.
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“My family is out in a field, they’re on a farm a long ways away and if something happens somebody can't get to them. It's like, you know, we need this in the county,” she says.
Vick says this equipment will benefit the ten fire departments and five EMS agencies across Southampton County as well as the City of Franklin.
“The Women’s Committee never gave up. They persevered and here we are today, and we are extremely grateful,” Vick says.
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Not only were they able to buy life-changing equipment for the county, they set up a nonprofit and started a foundation for future scholarships.
The ladies are just getting started too, they hope they can soon donate a second RTV and trailer to Fire and Rescue.
“It might not get done in a week, a day, or a month. It might take years, but don't give up because it's all worth it in the end,” says Everett.
