Everyday people can become your neighborhood heroes, whether they are students, nurses, career first responders, or business professionals. Our volunteers are an integral part of the EMS system in Chesterfield County. We are pre-hospital emergency medical services professionals subject to the same training standards and regulations as career Firefighters and EMTs.
Forest View Volunteer Rescue Squad is a 100% Volunteer rescue squad providing Emergency Medical Services to the citizens of Chesterfield County. We accept membership applications from experienced EMS personnel to new volunteers just entering the field. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age.
Forest View members come from various educational and employment backgrounds. Many of our members are pursuing or practicing in healthcare or public safety careers. Others are high-school, college, or graduate students pursuing other fields of study. Still others are practicing professionals in a wide variety of different disciplines. In spite of our disparities, Forest View members share some things in common—our strong commitment to teamwork, community service, and Emergency Medical Services.
Forest View is proud to offer a Junior Squad for our members aged 16-21. Juniors are fully certified members, completing the same training and responding on the same ambulances as all members, as well as getting additional leadership experience through their own leadership positions and executive board.
Citizens wanting to volunteer with the rescue squad but choose not to ride calls can apply for membership in our Auxiliary. It is a support group organized in 1958. It provides service in the form of raising money, serving dinners and lunches for meetings and classes, and performing assistance in other areas as needed. No specialized training or certification is requiring to join the Auxiliary. If interested, please complete the membership interest form, and specify in the comments box that you are interested in the Auxiliary. An Auxiliary member will contact you with more information.
Currently Accepting Applications! No experience required! We will provide all required training.
The application process can take between 1-4 months from start to beginning as a volunteer. The process starts when a potential member submits an interest form, which will be sent to our Vice President. The Vice President receives these forms and answers any questions candidates may have, often talking via email or phone, until the candidate is ready to apply.
At this point, the candidate will be provided an application packet with instructions to fill out. The Vice President will guide you through this process.
Once the application packet is submitted, the information will be provided to the appropriate agencies to conduct background investigations and drug testing. Once the application is complete, the candidate will be brought before the Executive Board to be voted into the agency.
Forest View helps our members acquire and maintain EMS certification at the basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS) levels. We provide the hands-on field experience our members need to achieve and maintain proficiency in the medical skills they learn. Forest View offers on-site training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Thirds Skills, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act training (HIPAA), Emergency Vehicle Operator’s Course (EVOC), Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B), Hazmat, Incident Command, Attendant-in-charge clearance, leadership skills, and much more! We also offer our members access to advanced courses of study, such as Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P).
New members will serve a minimum 6-month probationary period, possibly longer if they do not hold an EMT certification when joining. During their probationary period, they will complete Thirds Training and obtain required CPR, HIPAA, and EMT certifications. Members cannot be removed from Probationary Status until they have obtained an EMT certification.
Duty requirements for Forest View members are stringent, and they must be understood and supported by spouses/significant others before you consider joining the squad. In order to provide our members with the training they need to become proficient EMS personnel, we require them to serve a MINIMUM of 40 hours per month on duty on one of our 3 shifts (Junior member hour requirements are decreased for high school aged members). Crew assignments are made once new members complete our orientation course.
Forest View operates three stations: Station 3 in N. Chesterfield off of Midlothian Turnpike at Buford Rd, next to Chesterfield Fire Station #9, Station 5 in Midlothian across from Midlothian Middle School – which is a joint station with FVRS and CFEMS, and Station 2 in N. Chesterfield near the intersection of Midlothian Turnpike and Courthouse Rd. Members submit availability and report to a duty station as assigned by their Crew Lieutenant. Shifts range in length from a 12-hour overnight shift 6PM to 6AM (during the work week) to a 24-hour 8AM to 8AM shift (during the weekend).
Probationary members are expected to attend all weekly duty shifts and business meetings, except when illness, unavoidable and occasional school, job, or family-related commitment interferes. Members must give their Crew Lieutenant advance notice if a duty shift must be missed. Probationary members who do not meet their 40-hour-per-month duty requirement may be dismissed from the squad.