Address Marking

When seconds count, it is important that emergency services are able to find your location. If EMS, Fire, or Police are responding to your home; visible address numbers will save time and can save lives. Please inspect your address markings with a critical eye to make sure that we will be able to find your home.

While every locality has differing codes for proper marking of homes, emergency services find it helpful when

• Numbers and letters are at least four inches tall

• Numbers and letters contrast greatly with their background

• There is a light source clearly illumination address markings at night

• If there isn’t a light source, numbers should be reflective

Some other things to think about as you inspect your home's markings

• Can they be seen from all directions?

• Is all landscaping and shrubbery around the markings trimmed?

• If the address numbers are on your mailbox, is the mailbox next to your driveway?

Easily visible:

Needs help:

Medical History Form

One of the most important pieces of information we need when caring for a patient during a medical emergency is a medical history, which provides us with current and past medical conditions, medications, and allergies, This information greatly helps us in caring for the patient and reduces the time needed on scene. This is also one of the easiest things that you as a community member can prepare ahead of time for you and your family.

Please fill out the Medical History Form, print several copies, and put them in a location where you can easily and quickly get to the form in an emergency. The extra copies are so one can be sent with the ambulance crew.

EFFORT: Special Needs Emergency Information Form

The New River Valley Emergency Communications center has an on-line form to fill out about a special needs citizen of Montgomery County, Town of Blacksburg, Town of Christiansburg, and Virginia Tech. The form asks for basic information about the person (name, address, physical description, etc.), emergency contact information, and narrative fields to describe "any unique or special behaviors or characteristics," list "best approach for responders to use for this individual," and other information that will be helpful for law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, or search and rescue teams to plan a response to an emergency situation or if the person goes missing. There is also an option to upload a photo. The form is submitted electronically and the information stored so dispatchers can access it when called.

BVRS Community Resource Reference

Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad is responsible for emergency medical services. If you have an emergency, dial 911.

If you have non-emergency medical services, the "BVRS Community Resource Reference Guide" can provide information on commonly asked for services. We recommend printing this reference card along with the medical history form and keeping both in an easily assessable location, such as stuck on a refrigerator.

On The Road

You can also help us when you are driving around town. When you hear a siren or see flashing red/white or blue lights, an emergency vehicle is responding to a call for assistance. It could be an ambulance going to a medical emergency, a fire truck heading to a reported fire, or a police car going to check on a burglar alarm. Per the Code of Virginia, when an emergency vehicle approaches, "the driver of every other vehicle shall, as quickly as traffic and other highway conditions permit, drive to the nearest edge of the roadway, clear of any intersection of highways, and stop and remain there, unless otherwise directed by a law-enforcement officer, until the emergency vehicle has passed. Violation of this section shall constitute failure to yield the right-of-way; however, any violation of this section that involves overtaking or passing a moving emergency vehicle giving an audible signal and displaying activated warning lights as provided for in this section shall constitute reckless driving." (§ 46.2-829. Approach of law-enforcement or fire-fighting vehicles, rescue vehicles, or ambulances; violation as failure to yield right-of-way.) On four-lane streets and highways, pull into the right lane and slow down until the vehicle has passed. Be aware that most of the time when an ambulance is traveling east on U.S. 460 it will be exiting at S. Main St., so be aware of that when moving over or slowing down.

Events

BVRS participates in many events throughout the year. One of our biggest events that we host annually is our Open House, which is held in the spring. Members of the community are invited to come to our station and see how we operate on a day-to-day basis. and we also do several demonstrations. One of our most popular demonstrations is the car cutting, where extrication technicians demonstrate how to safely stabilize and cut a car to remove someone trapped in the vehicle. There are also CPR demonstrations and educational activities for children, such as how to call 911. There are also ambulance tours and lunch for all who come.

Another big event is Wheels and Wagons held at First and Main, where we have ambulances, crash trucks, all-terrain vehicles and responders open to the public. This event is a great time to come out and see all of our vehicles and meet our members!

BVRS participates in the International Street Fair, Fork and Cork, Summer Solstice, Independence Day Festivities, Steppin' Out, and many more!

Standby Requests

BVRS is a key in providing standby coverage for Blacksburg High School. BVRS also covers every Virginia Tech home football home game and has two crews on the field to provide care to those injured on the field. Throughout the year BVRS covers numerous standbys and participates in all events held by the Town.

If you would like our team at your Blacksburg event, please complete the Standby Request form.

Completed standby forms will be reviewed to ensure proper staffing and evaluate the request. You will be contacted by our Community Relations Manager if further information is needed and to work out the appropriate level of coverage for your event. Please understand our station is always staffed to answer 9-1-1 calls and if your event is small or low-risk, a standby might not be necessary.

Stand by requests must be submitted 2 weeks prior to the event.