SURRY, Va. — The Surry County Volunteer Rescue Squad said it will be voluntarily giving up its agency license and will terminate April 9 of this year.
A press release from the county said the squad has been providing service for nearly six decades, but due to a lack of volunteers, it can no longer provide service.
"Changing times have overwhelmed volunteer organizations across the nation, and many jurisdictions both urban and rural face an extreme shortage of Emergency Medical Service volunteers," the release said. "The required commitment to training hours and the need to be more available to answer increased calls for service has become increasingly difficult for people wishing to volunteer."
Because of the reduction in volunteers, Surry County officials said they've been relying on mutual aid from surrounding agencies like Isle of Wight and Sussex counties. They answer nearly 20% of Surry's call volume.
Surry County officials said that, due to the staffing challenges, the volunteer service has answered fewer than 2% of calls in the past year.
“The Board of Supervisors have not neglected residents but has been proactive and responsive so that citizens can continue to receive emergency medical response services although the volunteer system has not been operational,” said Robert Elliott the chair of the Surry County Board of Supervisors.
At its July 7 meeting, the Surry County Board of Supervisors designated Surry County Emergency Medical Services (SCEMS) as the Designated Emergency Response Agency in Surry County upon receiving licensure, according to the county's press release.
"On October 4, 2022, SCEMS met the requirements set forth by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health and was recognized as an EMS Agency authorized to provide Ground Ambulance-ALS, and Ground Ambulance-BLS services, the first step in the process," the release said. "The County’s license became active on December 22, 2022."
