Virginia Tech Rescue Squad recognized among top collegiate squads in the country
The Virginia Tech Rescue Squad was recently awarded gold recognition from the National Collegiate EMS Foundation EMS Ready Campus program — one of only three collegiate rescue squads in the U.S. to earn this distinction during the 29th annual National Collegiate EMS Foundation Conference in Pittsburgh.
EMS Ready Campus consists of three tiers of achievement — bronze, silver, and gold. Each tier builds upon a squad's previous emergency medical services and management efforts. Previously, Virginia Tech Rescue Squad held silver tier recognition since 2018.
Five squad members were also recognized for delivering life-saving CPR on the Blacksburg campus.
The squad also received the 2022 Community Engagement Program of the Year Award which recognizes efforts by university emergency medical services groups for creative, effective, and innovative programs that bolster community engagement. The Virginia Tech Rescue Squad was one of three collegiate rescue squads in the U.S. to win the Community Engagement Program of the Year award.
The squad's many engagement initiatives include management of the AED program on the Blacksburg campus, CPR and first aid classes, participation in university and regional public training exercises, emergency medical services support at Virginia Tech Athletics events, and many more.
The Virginia Tech Rescue Squad also partners with local organizations like the COVID-19 Crushers, Virginia Tech Panhellenic Council, and the Agape Center NRV around public health awareness campaigns, and collaborates closely with fire, rescue, and police departments across the region to deliver services and community relations initiatives.
“The Virginia Tech Rescue Squad is proud to receive the highest recognition from the National Collegiate EMS Foundation and numerous other honors. The conference is a great opportunity for our squad to represent Virginia Tech on a national platform and to gather with many like-minded individuals from over 50 collegiate rescue squads from across the country,” said Virginia Tech Rescue Squad Administrative Captain Lauren Yarnall, a senior majoring in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
About the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad
The all-student-run Virginia Tech Rescue Squad, which responds to around 1,200 emergency calls on the Blacksburg campus in a typical year, performs the same functions as a municipal rescue squad.
The squad also provides emergency medical services at major university and athletic events, manages the AED program on the Blacksburg campus, and offers ongoing health- and safety-related training like Stop the Bleed for the university community.
