EMS and VB Rescue Celebrate the Service of Volunteer and Career Members

Commitment and caring for Virginia Beach was celebrated this week, as Virginia Beach EMS and VB Rescue honored the dedication and service of more than 160 volunteer and career members who reached five-year milestones of up to 50 years of service in 2022 and 2023.

The devoted members were recognized at the 31st annual EMS Awards Ceremony on April 17 at the Sandler Center for Performing Arts.

The ceremony was a long time coming, after a two-year hiatus due to structural changes in the department and member feedback. As master of ceremonies, 13News Now meteorologist Craig Moeller thanked VB Rescue EMS and its partners for their hard work and service to the Virginia Beach community.

Volunteer Bobby Hill Jr. was recognized for 2023 for the longest milestone with VB Rescue — an astounding 50 years.

The total tenure of the more than 160 volunteer and career members recognized adds up to 2,000 years.

The 118 members who responded to the April 30 tornado in the Great Neck area were honored with the Significant Incident Award.

VB Rescue EMS members pivoted to form a strike and incident management team when the tornado hit. EMS members quickly answered the call when disaster hit the area and worked overtime for weeks after the incident.

Other accolades given during the ceremony:

• Act of Service Ribbons
• Unit Commendation Awards
• Providers of the Year Award
  • Support Member of the Year
  • Basic Life Support Provider of the Year
  • Advanced Life Support Provider of the Year
• EMS Achievement Medals
• Medals of Merit

“Our success is due to the dedication and service of all of our members, career and volunteer. Thank you to each and every one of you for your commitment to care and your devoted service to our community,”  Chief Jason Stroud said in a speech.

“Last year, VB Rescue responded to over 54,000 calls for service. This is an astounding figure — and it’s not slowing down. While call volume grows — and there is more work to be done on the road ahead — we know the emergencies don’t stop. But we can stop and take a moment to recognize how far we’ve come and celebrate our successes and triumphs.”

• Complete List of Award Recipients
• View More Photos

More VB Rescue EMS Highlights 

Be sure to follow VB Rescue EMS social channels to see more highlights of our dedicated members and their service to the community:  Facebook  |   Instagram   |   X (Twitter)

EMS is an award-winning third-service agency that answers more than 53,000 calls for service annually. Through VB Rescue, EMS utilizes a combined career-volunteer workforce and was named a 2023 American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Gold EMS Agency. Learn more about EMS by visiting ems.virginiabeach.gov.  

Joining Virginia Beach EMS and VB Rescue is incredibly easy. Visit ems.virginiabeach.gov/volunteer to learn more and start your application today. You can also contact Virginia Beach EMS at vbems@vbgov.com.