Rescue40 News and Events

Harrisonburg Rescue Squad is excited to announce the arrival of two new ambulances!  We are currently working to stock the apparatus so that it may be placed in service.  Before long, you’ll be seeing A45 and A44 out on the road!  As always, this would not be possible without our dedicated members and the support of the community.  Thanks!

Photo courtesy of Harrisonburg Fire Department

R40 had a busy busy morning on Tuesday, January 3.  Not only were they busy with regular, non-weather-related calls, but around 9am dispatched to I-81 for a multi-vehicle traffic accident.  The colder temperatures, wind, and sporadic snow fall cause drivers along the busy highway to collide.  Approximately 30 vehicles were involved in the wreck.  Rockingham Memorial Hospital received 14 patients from the accident.  Most injuries were minor.  A Harrisonburg City Transit bus was brought to the scene to help stranded motorists keep warm.  Northbound lanes were closed for several hours while emergency crews worked to clear the wreckage.  It required the efforts of the Harrisonburg Fire Department, Harrisonburg Rescue Squad, Bridgewater Rescue Squad, Harrisonburg Police Department, Virginia State Police, and many other surrounding EMS agencies to handle this incident.

The technical rescue capablities at Harrisonburg Rescue Squad continue to expand.  We are so excited for our mass casualty incident trailer to be placed in service and become a state-wide resource.  HRS members have volunteered their own time to prepare the MCI trailer.  They have put in electricity, stocked the trailer, organized supplies, and so much more.

Members interested in technical rescue have been practicing their skills and learning new techniques through monthly drills and continuing education courses.

On October 13, some of our members had the opportunity to attend a class about emergency extrication. They got to practice many hands-on skills and learn about airbags and restraint systems as well as hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. It is so important that we keep up with the latest trends in extrication so that we are able to perform these skills in real-life incidents.

At the end of the month some of our members will attend Big Rig Rescue to learn the safest and most efficient ways performing extrication when a tractor trailer or other oversized vehicle is involved.  This is very important due to the proximity of Interstate 81 and Route 33 and other highways in our first due.

Other members may travel to Wintergreen Resort to take part in Basic and Light Duty Rescue.

Harrisonburg Rescue Squad is proud to announce a record setting month!!  We ran 678 calls during the month of September!  That’s an average of 22.6 calls a day!  We beat our record of 662 calls that we set back in October 2010.  We are so proud to be a volunteer rescue squad that works hard to bring quality service to the Harrisonburg/Rockingham County area.  These records would not be possible without the hard work of our dedicated, passionate members.  We also would not be able to make these achievements without the continued support of the surrounding community.

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Continue reading: «New Record»

Harrisonburg Rescue Squad just received its shipment of rider alert cards.  We are so proud of this program and we are happy to announce that we are a part of it.  The Rider Alert Program is very popular in the United Kingdom and it has begun to spark interest across the United States.  HRS is happy to be contributing to the important cause.  Basically, motorcyclists can pick these cards up, fill out the proper information and then place them inside their helmet.  If the cyclist is to get into an accident, emergency responders can look inside the rider’s helmet and

Continue reading: «Rider Alert Program»

While JMU students are away and residents are on vacation, summers in Harrisonburg seem calmer and more laidback than some of the other high-stress, chaotic seasons.  However, Harrisonburg Rescue Squad stays busy throughout the summer months.  We continue to fully staff our station, run calls, hold meetings and trainings, and build our membership.  The Board of Directions and operational officers have been brainstorming new ways to make HRS the best that it can be and provide quality service to our community.

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Harrisonburg Rescue Squad just sent out its monthly newsletter.  The mailing also included an envelope so that postal patrons could contribute to the squad’s spring Fund Drive.  We rely heavily on these donations.  They go towards maintaining equipment and apparatus, providing educational opportunities, and other needs of the squad.  You can drop your donation off at the squad, mail a check to our post office box, or donate on our website.  We appreciate the continued support from the Harrisonburg/Rockingham community.

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The Harrisonburg Rescue Squad would like to announce that Emily Anderson has accepted the role of Public Information

Continue reading: «Emily Anderson Appointed Public Information Officer»