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, small business owners, active, reserve and retired military members and veterans, stay-at-home parents, nurses, 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 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, dispatched by GPS, respond to calls throughout Virginia Beach with occasional mutual aid provided to the cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake and local military installations.
Our organization is composed totally of volunteers. Based on staffing considerations, our crews may be supplemented by career Advanced EMTs and Paramedics from the City of Virginia Beach Department of EMS or by volunteer providers from our sister squads. Additionally, our members may be temporarily reassigned to other rescue squads throughout the city based on staffing considerations, ensuring the best ambulance and emergency services deployability model to our community.
Career and volunteer supervisors provide operational oversight for our on-duty crews.
“Dedicated to the community we serve.“
At a glance
How We Work
Our organization is directed by written bylaws. We’re composed of an Executive Board who oversees the organization, Officers responsible for day-to-day operations, and voting membership. Operational members respond to calls as state-certified Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics, while administrative members ensure the support system is in place to do so.
Monthly business meetings are open to the public, and held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7pm.
2022 By the Numbers
In 2022, we along with our sister squads and our partners at VBEMS responded to 53,341 emergency calls for service, transporting 37,118 patients to local area hospitals. Our approx. 50 members provided over 40,000 hours of collective community service responding to calls ranging from sick persons, structure fires, traumatic injuries, vehicle collisions, technical rescues, cardiac arrests, overdoses, maritime medevacs, public and law enforcement assists and everything between. Additionally, our volunteers provided over 10,000 hours of community service providing event standbys, hosting fundraisers and attending other community events.
Community Engagement
Community Engagement
Community is a huge deal to our Squad. Our organization and our members are very active with the Chesapeake Beach and Shore Drive communities. We do our best to frequent small businesses both on and off duty, engage and partner with local community organizations and businesses, attend neighborhood gatherings, and so much more. Many of our members are your neighbors, and live within the ”first due” area.
Why Volunteers?
Community Engagement
Volunteers staffing ambulances save the City of Virginia Beach approx. $24 million every year, allowing those savings to be put into other public needs. During large scale and complex incidents or high call volume periods, we’re able to more quickly increase the number of ambulances and providers by supplemental staffing of off-duty members who live or work locally.
Our personnel are trained and certified the same as every other EMT, AEMT or Paramedic (paid or volunteer) in Virginia, and are held to strict professional standards. When an ambulance arrives to an emergency in Virginia Beach, rest assured you’re receiving the best care possible.
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
VBRescue to start "compassionate billing"
Starting July 1, Virginia Beach EMS will implement a compassionate billing program that will bill patients’ health insurance plans for ambulance transports.
The program was approved as part of the City of Virginia Beach FY26 Budget, which established compassionate billing to support expanding emergency medical services and provide sustainable revenue for VBEMS and 10 volunteer rescue squads.