A Brief History Of WCRS.

By Roger Hudson

Wythe County Rescue Squad begain in 1948 as the Wythe County Life Saving Crew. A small group of community businessmen, in the basement of the the court house, formed a rescue organization and began covering emergency calls in both Wyth and Bland counties. This was before the arrival of Interstate 77, which meant the calls were answered by way of US 52 over Big Walker Mountain. The Squad covered both counties until 1977.
The Life Saving Crew began with two iron lungs, two hot pack machines some plywood boats, a First Aid Kit purchased for $35 and blankets for which they paid $2 a piece. In 1949 the squad purchased a $2000 Ford truck and used a station wagon to transport patients until 1954 when the squad got its first ambulance. Meeting were originally held in the Porterfield Funeral Home on West Main Street and then in the John Allen building down town.
In 1961, a rescue squad building was erected. It was a one story building with a small meeting room, kitchen, restroom and three parking bays. It was added to and doubled in size in 1971 with more parking bays and an upstairs which included a large meeting room and apartment with kitchen, living room bath and bedroom, where squad members can stay while on call.
The Bland Rescue Squad was formed in 1974. In 1976 the Lead Mines Rescue Squad was formed lending assistance in the eastern end of the county. In 1977 the Rural Retreat Emergency Service was organised, which covered the western end of the county.
Women were first allowed in to the squad in 1977, under some protest from the men. Today almost 50 percent of the squad members are women.
In the early days of the squad calls were dispatch by an officer yelling from the upstairs window of the police department building with such direction as...... "look for the red barn roof, turn left at the trees...... Aww, y'all know where it is....y'all been there before!"
As late as the 1970's care for the sick was to load them as fast as possible and then drive as fast as you could to the nearest doctor. This untrained approach often left innocent people with life long handicaps or disabilities. Today with modern equipment and trained members, the same event is repeated with precise care and transportation. What once would have ment certain death is now given a chance to live a normal life.
Early training was really anything you could get. Then the state began requiring Advanced First Aid Training. Now the state requires Emergency Medical Technicians to treat patients.
The current WCRS is a greatly different from the early Life Saving team as it is equipped and has members train to deal with :
Neonatal Advaced Life Support.
Pedictric Advanced Life Support.
Advanced Cadiac Life Support.
Basic Trauma Life Support.
Infectious Disease Control.
Confined Space Rescue.
Advanced Life Support.
Vehicle Extrication.
Search and Rescue.
Basic Life Support.
Basic and Advanced Vertical Rescue.
Cave Rescue.
EVOC.
First Aid.
Cardiopulmomary Resuscitation.