Bath County Celebrates National EMS Week With Special Event Saturday, May 21st

Hot Springs, VA – The week of May 15th is Emergency Medical Services Week and it’s being celebrated across the nation. In Bath County a special event is being planned as part of that celebration. Vince Broce is Director of Loss Prevention with The Homestead and he had an experience that led to The Homestead’s involvement with recognition of Emergency Medical Services volunteers. It happened one day as he and his supervisor heard an emergency call come over the scanner in his office.

“An emergency service call came across, and then they re-toned [resent the call]; after three minutes they re-toned again, and then we started talking – what is this was your grandmother, or what if this was your mother, what if this was your house?” says Broce. “Then on the fourth time, someone actually answered.”

There is currently a big need for more fire department and rescue squad volunteers in Bath County.

“We started by setting up a meeting with the two local Captains, Robbie Chestnut and Bobby Spurgeon” he says. “About two minutes into that conversation, we found out it wasn’t only a Hot Springs issue, but it was an issue across the board with all of Bath County emergency services. Then we asked them how do we help you?”

In conjunction with the Homestead Resort and local emergency services, an event called “EMS Salutes Bath County Emergency Services Heroes” is planned for May 21. Debbie Young is a volunteer with the Hot Springs Rescue Squad.

“This year the events going to be a lot larger and we’re real excited about it” she says. “We’ve got six rescue squad and fire depts that will be coming from Bath County and they’ll be displaying a fire truck and a rescue squad that day, and it’ll be a lot of hands on. It’ll be like a public awareness where people will get an idea of what EMS is all about and what the firefighters actually do.”

The Homestead is also assisting Emergency Services year round by allowing it’s employees to leave work to answer a call and still be compensated for that time. The resort is also extending employee privileges to all Emergency Services volunteers in Bath County. That includes perks such as golf privileges, discount room rates and use of resort facilities. At the EMS Event local fire departments and rescue squads will be recruiting, hoping to add volunteers to the ranks.

“We are all volunteers” says Young, “and we all work jobs in the daytime and the evening as well. Everybody tries to go when they can, but if you’re busy at work and you can’t go, you can’t go. That’s one of the things we’re trying to focus on with The Homestead as well; they’re being very gracious about letting their employees off.”

EMS Salutes Bath County Emergency Services Heroes is Saturday May 21 from 11 to 2 at the Hot Springs Fire House. There will be door prizes, a quilt raffle and activities for the kids. Food will be provided by The Homestead.

For more information call Debbie Young at 839-3312.