volunteering with rescue 4

Hands-On Experience
Our volunteers contribute at least 40 hours each month, gaining hands-on experience in a fast-paced, high-volume 911 system. The skills, confidence, and patient care experience they build here often become the foundation for future success, including nursing, physician assistant programs, medical school, and other healthcare/public safety careers. 

No-Cost, Nationally Recognized Training
No prior healthcare or public safety experience is needed to get started. Through our in-house Basic Life Support Academy, you’ll earn your National Registry EMT certification, Virginia EMT license, and professional CPR credentials, all at no cost. You’ll also receive hands-on training in emergency vehicle operations.

Ongoing Education & Advancement
At VBRescue, growth doesn’t stop at certification. Our members have access to professional development opportunities including the Advanced EMT Academy, Paramedic school scholarships, and specialized training courses like ACLS, PALS, TCCC/TECC, and PHTLS, helping you build skills, earn credentials, and take your EMS career to the next level.

Experienced members can become instructors and help teach, proctor and support our BLS and Advanced EMT Academies, gaining valuable experience in education and mentorship while helping train the next generation of responders.

Leadership & Involvement
There’s always room to lead at Rescue 4, from committee work and apparatus design/purchasing to fundraising and morale initiatives. Members can also pursue leadership roles in non-profit management, public safety operations, and administration.

Financial Incentives
Volunteers may qualify for Virginia Beach property tax relief and the Virginia State VOLSAP retirement stipend, helping to support long-term service and retention.

Special Operations Opportunities
Advanced and specialized training is available in areas such as Crisis Intervention, Marine Rescue, Bike and Cart Teams, SWAT Medic (with VBPD), Field Supervision, and Field Training Officer programs.

Professional Development & Networking
Volunteers receive free or discounted admission to state and national EMS symposiums, many hosted right here in the Tidewater region, offering access to cutting-edge education and professional connections.

A Second Family
You’ll gain more than experience, you’ll gain a community. Our members build strong friendships that extend far beyond the station, creating a sense of family that makes volunteering even more rewarding.

Off duty, you’ll often find us together at social events, escape rooms, camping trips, the golf course, and beach days, or even just grabbing food after a shift. These moments strengthen the trust and camaraderie that carry over to the field, because when you respond to emergencies together, you become more than teammates. 

A Modern, Progressive EMS System

VBRescue operates one of the most progressive and well-equipped EMS systems in the nation. Our newly designed ambulances, built with direct input from our members, prioritize safety, efficiency, and patient comfort. Each unit is equipped with LUCAS mechanical CPR devices, Stryker Power-COT and Power-LOAD systems, and LifePak 15 cardiac monitors with full telemetry capabilities.

Our Paramedics are trained to perform rapid sequence induction (RSI), administer whole blood, and utilize point-of-care ultrasound in the field. Both ALS and BLS providers operate under evidence-based protocols that encourage critical thinking and top-of-scope practice, ensuring every patient receives the highest standard of prehospital care possible.

The Experience of a Lifetime

There’s no better place to learn, grow, and make a difference than with VBRescue. 

Volunteering with us will be some of the most challenging, but most rewarding, experiences of your life. 

Operational members are required provide a minimum of 40 hours a month, with at least 36 hours of duty through prescheduled shifts (generally 10, 12 or 24 hour shifts) and 4 hours which can be used towards administrative functions including training and continuing education. Members are encouraged to provide additional time to station and administration projects, take on leadership positions or collateral duties, and staff ambulances during peak hours and for major incidents. 

Administrative members are required to provide a minimum of 12 hours a month, which may be physically at the station or through teleworking/remote work depending on roles and responsibilities. 

Operational candidates who successfully complete a background check — and who are not yet certified EMTs — will attend our in-house, no-cost Basic Life Support (BLS) Academy, conducted through the City of Virginia Beach Department of EMS. Graduates of the Academy earn professional CPR, National Registry EMT (NREMT), and Virginia Emergency Vehicle Operations (EVOC) certifications, gaining the skills and confidence to provide high-quality emergency medical care in the field.

Administrative candidates complete an initial orientation through VBEMS after passing a background check, followed by on-the-job training alongside the Rescue 4 leadership team, ensuring they’re prepared to support our mission and operations from day one.

After completing the BLS Academy, or for those already certified as EMTs, new operational members complete a field internship. This phase familiarizes members with local procedures, policies, and protocols while gradually integrating them into active operations before being cleared to serve as Attendants-in-Charge.

Advanced Life Support providers, including AEMTs, Intermediates and Paramedics, complete a more intensive internship under the guidance of an assigned Field Training Officer (FTO), culminating in an oral board with the Medical Director and training team to ensure readiness and clinical proficiency.

All of our members regardless of certification level are released as Tidewater EMS Council providers with reciprocity throughout the local area.