Our Organization
Everyday...
...our volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization responds to emergencies throughout the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Our volunteers are school teachers, college students, chemical engineers, artists, small business owners, active, reserve and retired military members and veterans, stay-at-home parents, nurses and other healthcare providers, construction managers, mechanics, firefighters, police officers, federal employees, bartenders, carpenters, shipyard workers and so many more who since 1942 have come together to provide high-quality emergency medical services to the community.
We’re one of 10 independent all-volunteer rescue squads that serve the City of Virginia Beach, under the umbrella of the Virginia Beach Department of EMS and the VBRescue brand.
Every year, collectively our volunteers along with our sister squads and Virginia Beach EMS:
- Donate hundreds of thousands of community service hours.
- Respond to over 53,000 emergency calls including medical and trauma emergencies, vehicle accidents, fires, technical rescues, public assists and more, treating and transporting over 37,000 patients to local area hospitals.
- Serve the Virginia Beach population of 444,000 citizens and 2.8 million tourists.
- Save the City of Virginia Beach $24 million in taxpayer dollars every year.
Our “first due” service area is the northwest corner of the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia from the Ocean Park border to the Norfolk city line along the Shore Drive corridor. This includes the Chesapeake Beach, Bayside, Thoroughgood, Lake Smith, Lake Shore, Fentress, off-base Joint-Base Little Creek military housing neighborhoods as well as the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and surrounding local area. Our ambulances, outfitted with advanced GPS technology and dispatched through our city partners at Virginia Beach Emergency Communications and Citizen Services, respond to emergency calls across Virginia Beach and provide mutual aid to our neighbors in Norfolk, Chesapeake, and nearby military installations.
Our organization is made up entirely of dedicated volunteers. To ensure continuous coverage and rapid response, our crews may be supplemented by career Advanced EMTs and Paramedics from the Virginia Beach Department of EMS or by volunteer providers from our sister squads. Likewise, our members may be temporarily assigned to other rescue squads throughout the city as needed. This creates a flexible, citywide system that delivers the best possible emergency medical care to our community. Both career and volunteer supervisors provide operational oversight and support for our on-duty crews.
“Dedicated to the community we serve.“
At a glance
How We Work
Why Volunteers?
Our Squad operates under established bylaws and is led by an Executive Board that oversees the direction of the organization. Day-to-day operations are managed by a team of Officers, with guidance and input from our voting membership.
Our operational members serve the community as state-certified Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics, while our administrative members provide the vital support that keeps our mission running efficiently.
Monthly business meetings are open to the public and held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. We welcome all who are interested in learning more about our work and community impact.
Why Volunteers?
Why Volunteers?
Volunteer EMS providers save the City of Virginia Beach an estimated $24 million every year, funding that can be redirected to other essential community needs.
During large-scale incidents, severe weather, or times of high call volume, our system can rapidly scale up operations thanks to members who live and work locally, allowing us to quickly place additional ambulances and trained providers in service when needed most.
Every one of our volunteers, whether EMT, Advanced EMT, or Paramedic, meet the same state certification and training standards as their career counterparts and are held to the highest levels of professionalism and clinical excellence.
When an ambulance arrives at your door in Virginia Beach, you can be confident you’re receiving the best care possible, delivered by dedicated providers who proudly serve their community.
2022 By the Numbers
In 2022 our organization alongside our sister squads and partners at Virginia Beach EMS responded to over 53,000 emergency calls, transporting more than 37,000 patients to area hospitals.
Our team of approx. 50 dedicated volunteers contributed over 40,000 hours of service responding to everything from medical emergencies and traumatic injuries to structure fires, vehicle collisions, technical rescues, cardiac arrests, overdoses, and maritime medevacs.
Beyond emergency response, our members dedicated an additional 10,000 hours to the community, staffing special events, hosting fundraisers, and participating in neighborhood activities that strengthen our connection to the community we serve.
Community Engagement
Community is at the heart of everything we do. Our members aren’t just responders, we’re neighbors, friends, and familiar faces around Chesapeake Beach and the city. Many of us live right here in the neighborhoods we serve, which makes every call, event, and handshake that much more meaningful.
We take pride in supporting the people and places that support us. From grabbing coffee at local small businesses to partnering with community organizations and attending neighborhood gatherings throughout the year. Whether it’s standing by at a 5K, helping out at a local festival, or joining a school safety event, we’re committed to being present both in and out of uniform.
It’s all part of strengthening the bond between our Squad and the community we’re honored to protect.
HIGH LEVEL OF CARE
The VBRescue system is nationally recognized for our care to our community. In 2022, our system was awarded the AHA's Mission Lifeline: Gold Plus for EMS.
TRANSPARENCY
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, transparency with the community and our donors is key. We're proud to announce that VBRescue - Chesapeake Beach has earned our Silver Seal of Transparency with @CandidDotOrg! Get updates on our impact through our Nonprofit Profile.
VBEMS Annual report
See how CBVRS and our sister rescue squads under the umbrella of Virginia Beach EMS performed last year.
Our Corporate SPONSORS
