Blog Posts

Plant Sale Fundraiser

9/17/2020

Garden Club to host fundraiser for OPVRS

The Great Neck Point Garden Club will be hosting a fundraising plant sale to benefit Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad. These high-quality local plants will come from gardening professionals who can answer all your questions about planting and care. September 26th, 9am-12pm at the Shore Drive Farm Market.
Rain Date: October 5th

Featured Plants include:
Poets Laurel
Fatsia Japonica
Grasses
Bear’s Breeches
Windmill Palms
Lynnhaven Carpet
Lamb’s Ear
Asters
Chive
Plant Contains
Vases
And much more!

Bruce W. Edwards VB EMS HQ

8/25/2020

THE BRUCE W. EDWARDS VIRGINIA BEACH EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES HEADQUARTERS AND TRAINING CENTER

REQUESTED BY CITY COUNCIL
A RESOLUTION RENAMING THE VIRGINIA BEACH EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES HEADQUARTERS AND TRAINING CENTER AS "THE BRUCE W. EDWARDS VIRGINIA BEACH EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES HEADQUARTERS AND TRAINING CENTER"

WHEREAS, Bruce W. Edwards served as Chief of the Department of Emergency Medical Services for the City of Virginia Beach for 32 years;

WHEREAS, he was the longest serving member in the history of Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services, and he was the longest-tenured CPR instructor, paramedic and administrator in the state;

WHEREAS, former Chief Edwards's 42-year career in emergency medical services in Virginia Beach began in 1967 when he joined the Ocean Park Volunteer Fire and Rescue Unit, where he rose to the rank of Assistant Fire and Rescue Chief:

WHEREAS, in 1973, he became Executive Director of the Emergency Coronary Care Program of Virginia Beach, Inc., a federally funded program that produced the first advanced life support technicians in the Commonwealth of Virginia;

WHEREAS, as coordinator of the Office of Emergency Medical Services for the City from 1975 to 1984, he was responsible for pre-hospital emergency patient care and training programs, and in 1984, he was promoted to Chief of the Department of Emergency Medical Services;

WHEREAS, Chief Edwards led an EMS Department with more than 1,500 career and volunteer rescue and fire personnel, and in addition to supervising all EMS operations in the City, he regulated private ambulance services and Oceanfront lifeguard operations;

WHEREAS, the demand for EMS services grew from around 8000 annual calls for assistance when Chief Edwards assumed leadership of the department to approximately 44,000 annual calls upon his retirement in 2016:

WHEREAS, in addition to serving our City, Chief Edwards served his state with distinction, receiving gubernatorial appointments to the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board in 2006 and to the Virginia Board of Health in 2009, for which he was selected as Chair in 2011:

WHEREAS, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Old Dominion University, he served his nation as a member of the United States Navy Reserve;

WHEREAS, his numerous accolades include the Governor's Award as the Outstanding EMS Administrator in the Commonwealth in 1996 and the 2012 Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation Virginia Gilpin Distinguished Service Award:

WHEREAS, in 2016, upon his retirement, the House of Delegates adopted a resolution commending his service to our City and the Commonwealth, and the City bestowed upon him the title of "Chief Emeritus," in which capacity he continued to serve the City as a volunteer mentor and advisor to the department; and

WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to express its deep appreciation for former Chief Edward's decades of exemplary public service to our City by renaming the City's EMS headquarters and training center in his memory:

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA:

1. That the Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services Headquarters and Training Center, located at 4160 Virginia Beach Boulevard, is hereby renamed as "The Bruce W. Edwards Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services Headquarters and Training Center": and

2. That the City Manager is hereby directed to take all steps necessary to revise all signage for the facility and all other references to the facility to include this new name.

Smart911 Comes To Virginia Beach

7/7/2020

Vital information to and from first responders. Free to the community.

Virginia Beach 911 will be rolling out a new feature for mobile phones called Smart911. Smart911 shares information you provide to 911 Dispatchers:

Medical Information.
Emergency Contact information.
Home Address, Vehicle Make/Model.
Pet Information.
And More!

Smart911 also ties into VB Alerts for Virginia Beach residents. VB Alerts include:

Weather watches and warnings
Evacuation announcements
Rabid animal alerts
Police, fire or EMS activity
Hazardous Materials Incident
Boil water advisories
Transportation disruptions (road closures, major traffic incidents)

Smart911 will work in any jurisdiction across the country that participates in the program.

AmazonSmile for Mobile Devices

6/11/2020

AmazonSmile available for iOS and Android

AmazonSmile customers can now support Ocean Park Volunteer Fire And Rescue Unit Inc in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations.

Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into 'Settings'
Tap 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app, update your app. Click here for instructions.

You Shop. Amazon Gives.
Set up AmazonSmile for your account now.

Emergency Blood Drive, July 2020

6/10/2020

American Red Cross blood supply is critically low.

The American Red Cross has requested an additional Emergency Blood Drive in July. Supplies are critically low and donors are needed more than ever. Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad is known throughout Hampton Roads for having the highest Blood Drive turnout and most engaging community, now we're being asked to help again.

This Emergency Blood Drive will include COVID-19 antibody testing.

Schedule your appointment at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=opvrs

#GivingTuesday Thank You

5/5/2020

We Couldn't Do It Without You

We have been feeling the love recently. From meal donations, to masks, to Girl Scout cookies, money donations, and more! From the bottom of ours hearts, THANK YOU! Our members (who are not paid or compensated) will continue to answer the call for help every time they're summoned. We couldn't do it without you.

In the weeks and months ahead we'll need your help more than ever. If you've ever been interested in volunteering, now is the time. We need EMTs, Paramedics, and behind the scenes help. If you're interested in becoming an EMT we'll provide to training!

We have an entire team behind the scenes coordinating fundraising, writing thank you letters, station maintenance & upkeep, and fleet drivers who move ambulances between the maintenance garage and the station.

We will need all the help we can get! Contact us to learn how you can make a difference.

#GivingTuesdayNow #ThankYou #COVID19 #NonProfit

Blood Drive May 15th, 2pm-6pm

4/13/2020

Blood Donors Needed, YOU ARE ESSENTIAL

Friday May 15th, 2pm-6pm
As organizations limit all “non-essential activity” our blood drive is an essential activity, as outlined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is an imperative part of community health and public preparedness plans to maintain blood collection during this challenging time to ensure patient survival.

Schedule your donation online today.

Schedule Blood Donation

Birthday Visits by OPVRS

4/5/2020

If your birthday is coming soon,
We don’t want you feeling blue,
You don’t have to celebrate with just one balloon,
Let us do something special for you!

If your child has a birthday between now and June 10th and their birthday plans have been canceled or postponed due to COVID-19, please message us and let us know! If you live in our Shore Drive response area, spanning from First Court Rd to Cox High School in Virginia Beach, we would love to do an ambulance drive by to wish them a happy birthday.

Contact us to get started! [email protected]
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Visit Date Request:

Squad Stories at Ocean Park

3/9/2020

You can make a difference in someone's life. You can volunteer with Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad. From working on the ambulance to working behind the scenes fundraising, managing equipment, and building repairs. Regardless of age or experience, there is a need for volunteers.
Learn how you can make a difference in the lives of others and your community.

Get Involved

Thank you to Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation and Join Volunteer Rescue Squads of Virginia Beach for helping create this video.

New Traffic Signal and Emergency Signal

3/2/2020

Shore Dr and Stratford Rd

Don't Block The Box:
Shore Drive has a new traffic signal at East and West Stratford Road and an extra emergency signal for Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad over the eastbound lanes. This new traffic signal will help pedestrians cross Shore Drive safely.
Be aware that the proximity of the stoplight may cause traffic to back up in front of the ambulance garages. Please don't block the box in front of the station. This will ensure your car is not blocking any of the emergency vehicles leaving the station. Since the stripes were painted and the signs put in place, the police have been actively enforcing "Don't Block The Box".