P.E. Co. Unveils New Emergency Preparedness Unit

The Prince Edward Volunteer Rescue Squad presented the newest addition to their fleet of emergency response vehicles to members of the County’s Board of Supervisors just prior to their regular meeting on August 11. The Mass Casualty Unit, as it is called, was created in response to the deadly shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007. The mass shooting in Blacksburg, in which 32 lives were taken in less than 10 minutes, caused officials in the State of Virginia, as well as local officials, to recognize the need for an emergency response such as the Mass Casualty Unit, especially with the student bodies of Longwood University and Hampden Sydney College representing such a major interest to our county.

In response to negotiations with Longwood University and Hampden-Sydney College, along with Prince Edward Rescue Squad and Taylor Forbes Equipment Company, a partnership was formed and a total of $46,000 was raised to make the Mass Casualty Unit a reality.

A unique, color-coded triage process creates a level of efficiency during an emergency that increases the survival rate of victims by reducing the amount of time it takes to triage and transport more severely injured victims to hospitals. It is a well thought out system designed to save lives.

The State of Virginia has requested that several upgrades be made to the Prince Edward Mass Casualty Unit in order to bring it up to standards that have been mandated for response units of this type. These upgrades cost money. An inventory that includes medical and trauma supplies, incident command and oxygen supplies, as well as personal protection supplies, are needed to meet the template that is in place to follow. Contact Bill Hogan, President of the Prince Edward County Rescue Squad at: (434) 392-6973 with any question you may have regarding the new Mass Casualty Unit.