Celebrating 50 years of service
Just a few of the 100-plus members and friends of the Sperryville Volunteer Rescue Squad who celebrated 50 years of service on Saturday.
The west end of Sperryville’s Main Street was lively on Saturday as over 100 members of the community celebrated 50 years of lifesaving service by the Sperryville Volunteer Rescue Squad (SVRS). And what a half-century of progress it’s been. According to Donald Gore, SVRS started in 1969 with 13 charter members. Gore is the only charter member still active today. The Rescue Squad initially operated out of the house now owned and occupied by Diane Bruce, located just before the cemetery on Route 522. The house was then owned by Gore. For help in a medical emergency or accident, you phoned Ethel Clater, who lived on Main Street and kept track of who was on duty. Clater was assisted by Cleo Dodson. Clater or Dodson then phoned the volunteers on duty to respond. Their first ambulance was a 1970 Chevrolet Carryall with a raised roof. The early SVRS volunteers received 40 hours of training given
by Pete Clatterbuck of Culpeper. What a difference from today. Now basic EMT training requires at least 130 hours of instruction, followed by a rigorous National Registry test, followed by a field internship. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) originally owned the 12 Main Street lot. VFW and the Sperryville Volunteer Fire Department jointly built the original building about 1946 with the lower level housing fire apparatus and the upper level housing the VFW meeting area. After the Sperryville Volunteer Fire Department left for a new building at their current site, VFW leased the lower level to SVRS. In 2008, VFW transferred ownership of the 12 Main Street location to SVRS. In 2011, SVRS added a new bay in order to accommodate the larger size of modern ambulances. Today SVRS is actively engaged in its mission of providing emergency medical services to Sperryville and surrounding communities. In 2018, its members responded to 388 dispatches for EMS. Its 16 running members range in age from 19 to 79. One new member is completing EMT class and another new member and recent retiree is starting EMT class next month. Another EMT is completing higher level training as a Medic. SVRS is working on two big changes. First, we’re in the process of ordering a new ambulance to replace our “Ambulance 7” that’s been in service for nearly 20 years and is at the end of its useful life span. To accommodate the new ambulance, we’re also expanding our existing facility on Main Street to add a new bay! Just as we did a few years back, this new bay will offer the head height needed for the new ambulance. Construction should start late this year or early in 2020.