Outstanding Contribution to EMS

Congratulations to Mrs. Arvel P. Shannon for winning the Outstanding Contribution to EMS Award.

Mrs. Arvel Shannon is well known throughout the surrounding communities for her support and financial contributions to important causes. In July, 2004 she established a Trust Fund for Spotsylvania Volunteer Rescue Squad.

Mrs. Shannon realizes the importance, value, and role the volunteer system plays in our community. She further recognizes the need for continued training and the resources of a facility to provide that training. The dream of an EMS Training Center for Spotsylvania Volunteer Rescue Squad became a goal. In July of 2009 that dream became a work in progress. On November 22, 2009 the dream was a reality and Mrs. Shannon was there to cut the ribbon to open the Arvel P. Shannon Training Center and stated: "It feels good to help especially with something as important to the community as this organization, and constant training is an important duty of the squad".

Prior to the opening of the training center the agency would provide classes at the rescue building. It would require moving all the ambulances out of the bays and cleaning in order to set up training stations. There would be three or four practical stations going on in the bay area of the building and it could get very hectic working with the students and accommodating for the duty crews. The noise factor from the alert system and other practical stations made training a challenge at times.

The training center is owned by Spotsylvania Volunteer Rescue Squad. But the center benefits the entire system in Spotsylvania County and other localities. The agency can now offer EMT- B, Enhanced, EVOC, and CPR classes on a regular basis and these classes are open to all regardless of agency affiliation or locality.

The facility now has two large class rooms, one of those can be broken down into two medium size training rooms and a smaller room that can be divided as well. All total there can be a total of 3 to 5 break out rooms for training. There is an ambulance simulation room with an ambulance box equipped with everything an ambulance would have on it to respond to calls. Students can even access the outer compartments for equipment. In this training room there are also two sets of stairs with a landing. Students can now learn appropriate techniques on how to bring a patient down stairways utilizing various types of equipment.

Mrs. Shannon's continued contribution from the trust fund will support the operation of the training center and purchase of the necessary equipment to facilitate training courses in the future. Her huge contribution and dedication to EMS training is why I feel she is deserving of the Outstanding Contribution to EMS.

Mrs. Shannon will now move on to the Governor's Awards.