Question 1

What membership options do you have?

Accepted Answer

We currently offer four membership categories. They are briefly summerized as follows:
 
Junior - For individuals 16 or 17 years old looking to gain experience in pre-hospital care and are assigned to a duty team.
 
Senior - This is our standard membership category for 18 and older individuals and are assigned to a duty team.  
 
Associate - These members make their own schedules and run a minimum of 24 hours of service a month. To be eligible, you must hold a current state or nationally registered certification and have a minimum of two years experience with an emergency medical services agency.
 
Academic - For full-time students attending a university or college outside the Roanoke Valley. They are assigned to a duty team but are excused from their duty shifts during the school year. However they are expected to run their shifts as scheduled during holiday and summer breaks.
 
For more information and detailed description of each membership category, please click here.

Question 2

Can I volunteer if I don't live in Cave Spring, the general area, or in Roanoke County?"

Accepted Answer

Yes as long as you are able to meet the time commitment.

Question 3

I want to pursue a career in EMS or in the medical field. Does volunteering help me?

Accepted Answer

Becoming a volunteer EMT is a great way to gain experience before starting a career in medicine. Familiarizing yourself with the "lingo" of the field, getting experience working with patients and other healthcare professionals, and learning how to stay calm under pressure are just a few reason. 
 
Many of our volunteers have gone on to become nurses and doctors, PA's, physical therapists, and pursued careers in EMS

Question 4

I'm a local college student. How does volunteering affect my school work?

Accepted Answer

Almost half of our current membership are full-time college students or former students when they joined. It can seem demanding on your schedule however we consider it no more then the average person who has a "nine-to-five" and family at home. 
 
We provide quite rooms and spaces for studying and doing homework while on duty, highspeed internet, copy and fax machine, and flexibility with shifts.

Question 5

I am a highschool student. Can I volunteer?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we offer a Junior Membership for those 16 or 17 years of age. Volunteering in EMS for Junior members provides an immense amount of growth opportunities and experience. It takes a very special and mature individual to perform the same tasks and meet the same expectations as adults in EMS. That includes going on calls and assisting in patient care. 
 
You're rewarded with great experience before pursuing a career in medicine, you earn community service hours, it looks great on college applications. But not just that, you mature in a way that many of your fellow classmates can't.
 
Junior members are expected to be certified EMT's and are assigned to a regular duty team. They are set home after 11:00pm on school nights however they are expected to run their full shift on weekends and during holidays.

Question 6

Can I see what it's like without making a commitment to join?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Our Citizen Observer Program allows you to ride with our crew on the ambulance to every call with no commitment to join. You'll enter patients houses, see the crew performing patient assessments and treatments, ride with the patient in the ambulance to the hospital and go inside the emergency room. You may even see someone cut out of a car or respond to a house fire. This gives you a great first hand experience of what volunteering is like and typically what our crews face while performing their duties. You just have to pass a simple background check. 
Click here for more information or to fill out the form.

Question 7

Do you get paid?

Accepted Answer

No, you volunteer your time to give back to your community with no monitary compensation. However, as a member of CSRS you are eligible to participate in Roanoke County's Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) where you could be rewarded $500 a year. This is done by accumilating a certain number of points per year which are earned based on the number of hours you volunteer and the training and certifications completed.

Question 8

Do I have to purchase my own gear?

Accepted Answer

You are issued a crew uniform and sent to a local uniform supply store to select a pair of EMS pants. You must purchase your own boots. The Logistics Lt. can assist you in selecting a pair. You will also be assigned a set of turnout gear.

Question 9

What does the crew do while waiting for a call?

Accepted Answer

The crews use their downtime to train and run scenerios, perform station chores, and complete inventory and checkoffs off all the trucks and equipment. When those are complete, the crew can be found doing anything from just hanging out watching TV together, playing basketball or pingpong, working out in or gym, or studying.

Question 10

Do I have to sleep at the station?

Accepted Answer

If you are Senior, Academic, or Junior member you will be assigned to a duty crew that operates over night. This will require you to sleep at the station. We have seperate male and female bunk rooms with very comfortable beds and linens along with seperate shower facilties. 
 
Associate members who make their own schedule do not necessarily have to sleep overnight at the station as they make their own run schedule according to their availability.

Question 11

What is the incentive to taking a class, running all those hours, putting your life in danger, and completing all the training if you don't get paid for it?"

Accepted Answer

The benifits are worth more than money. Serving your community, making a difference, making a lifelong impact on the lives of people, building long lasting relationships, brotherhood, and memories with the people you serve with. The crew becomes a second family. Be a part of something big, bigger then yourself. And going home knowing you saved someones life is an awesome feeling. Just ask a current member.

Question 12

I'm a little squeamish with blood or sensitive to smells. Will that be a problem?

Accepted Answer

Given the nature of the job, a tolerance to blood​, smells, and often unpleasant unsightly things is required. It can be a dirty job but we love every minute of it. 
We recommend signing up for our Citizen Observer Program to give you a non-commital chance to experience and observer first hand what our crews face on a daily basis.

Question 13

It all seems like a big responsability.

Accepted Answer

It is and we take our responsibility very serious. After all, we're responding to our friends, our neighbors, sometimes our own family and loved ones. We may be volunteers but we consider ourselves professionals.

Question 14

I've had numerous speeding tickets. Will that prevent me from passing my background checks?

Accepted Answer

No, your average speeding ticket will not prevent you from passing your background checks or becoming a volunteer.
 
However, depending on the number of points you have on your license, it may prevent you from being permitted to drive apparatus.

Question 15

Can I volunteer to just drive the trucks and not become an EMT?

Accepted Answer

We do not currently offer a driver only membership.

CAVE SPRING RESCUE SQUAD

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