The merged brigades just became operational to help address challenges in recruitment, funding and training.
Path to Solutions
Posted inPath to Solutions
Community teams work to aid Virginia first responders so they can focus on what’s needed most
Volunteers bring food, water, a generator and a cot where firefighters can lie down. They also take over administrative duties.
Posted inPath to Solutions
Volunteer firefighter numbers have declined across the U.S. In Blacksburg, college students help fill the ranks.
Factors contributing to recruitment challenges include increased time demands, more rigorous training requirements and the proliferation of two-income families whose members do not have time to volunteer.
Posted inPath to Solutions
Effort for new fire station in Rich Creek progresses, to stop aging facility from becoming ‘part of the disaster’
Small fire departments like the one in the Giles County town have to get creative to pay for infrastructure projects.
Posted inPath to Solutions
Paramedics are helping patients manage illnesses, connect with services and avoid calling 911. But these programs can be tough to sustain in rural areas.
Community paramedicine can free up ambulance crews to respond to true emergencies. But volunteer EMS agencies may lack the resources to create such offerings.
Posted inPath to Solutions
In Norton, drafting government workers for firefighting is filling a need
The city’s fire department needed a way to fill its ranks.
Posted inPolitics
Funding for Virginia’s fire service is insufficient, studies show. There are ideas for how to change that.
Here’s a guide to how fire departments are funded in Virginia, in eight FAQs gathered from Cardinal readers.
Posted inPath to Solutions
Equipment donations from Northern Virginia are making a difference at Southwest fire departments
Minimal state funding for fire and emergency services in Virginia means rural localities must rely on grants and donations.
Posted inPath to Solutions
Youth rescue camp aims to inspire Virginia’s next generation of first responders
More than 40 kids attended last month’s camp, which is part of the Virginia Association of First Responders’ efforts to bolster fire and rescue recruitment efforts.
Posted inPath to Solutions
As firefighters in Southwest and Southside spend most of their time responding to EMS calls, training evolves
The issue was featured during a recent statewide first responder symposium in Blacksburg.
