All 38 members of VT Rescue Squad answered their call of duty on April16 and were some of the first on scene at the West Ambler Johnston Hall shooting. They were also present in Norris Hall, organizing and triaging victims, according to the Virginia Tech Review Panel report ordered by Gov. Tim Kaine.
While Blacksburg may ordinarily be a peaceful and quiet town, the team didn't feel entirely unprepared for what they faced that day.
"It's not like because we don't see (gun shot wounds), that we don't study them," said Joanna Romanyshyn, vice president and public information officer of VT Rescue, currently in her fourth year on the squad. "We pride ourselves in our professionalism. We can all be joking around here, we're very friendly. But as soon as you hear the tones drop, you just kind of kick into business mode and know what to do and revert back into training."
The senior biology major went on to say that she couldn't even begin to describe the events of that day because of all that happened.
James Downing, president of VT Rescue and senior mechanical engineering major, said the entire squad was working continuously from about 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on April 16. Both Downing and Romanyshyn felt as though their plans for dealing with a mass casualty worked well when put to the test last year.
"We practice a lot and there was very little confusion," Downing said.
Immediately following their work in response to the shootings, all members of the squad were required to undergo counseling from various organizations, including, but not limited to, on-campus Cook Counseling Center and counselors through the state of Virginia. The sessions took place multiple times each week and whenever someone expressed an interest.
According to Downing, any time a large incidence occurs when it's not a normal call, it is standard protocol for most rescue squads to bring in a critical incident stress management team.
"Basically what that allows you to do is to know what all went on in the call, kind of like a debriefing. At the same time, the counselors are trained to let everyone express their feelings about the call. Talking is always a good thing after these large incidences," Downing said.
Sessions have dwindled since last April, but Romanyshyn said that help is still available for anyone on the team who needs it. "If anyone still does need to talk, especially with the anniversary coming up, it's always available for someone. We might not be having as many sessions and debriefings, but there's still a lot of counselors that are making themselves definitely available to our members if they need it," Romanyshyn said.
Though other rescue squads often ask them if anyone left the squad as a result of dealing with the tragedy, according to Downing that was never an issue.
"We didn't lose anyone as a direct result of April 16, which I think says a lot about the squad. We have a bunch of people who have never been in EMS before, maybe a couple years experience. And everyone is doing pretty good," Downing said. VT Rescue gets about 3 to 4 calls a day on average, which translates into about 900 calls last year, excluding April 16 as well as medical emergencies during football games. About 75 percent of the calls answered are for students who need assistance, and the other 25 percent are from faculty, staff, and visitors.
The squad is seen in the eyes of community members, peers, and professionals alike as a reputable and respectable organization."All the volunteers are professionals," said Sid Bingley, chief of the Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad of the Tech crew, who has worked alongside VT Rescue in the past. "They answer their calls efficiently and are well organized."
Bingley transported one of the first shooting victims to the hospital last April 16 and has been volunteering with BVRS for eight years. Radford University's student-run volunteer squad has also collaborated with VT Rescue in the past to help them cover a few football games, as well as the Concert for Virginia Tech last fall. Their squad has about 20 active members and answers approximately 250 calls a year for the 9,122-person campus.
The Radford University EMS squad acknowledged the courage and bravery displayed by their colleagues last spring, and said they hoped they could handle a similar situation with the efficiency and courage of the VT crew.
You might be interested in...- April 16 lawsuits transferred
- WVU professor crafts new memorial
- Column: April 16 suit offers chance to obtain more answers
