Today was a special event at the rescue squad station! The Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad held their 3rd annual open house -an event where the public is invited to tour our station and view demonstrations of equipment. Their relationship to the public is very important to them. The rescue squad is a volunteer force that does not receive or use tax payer money. All funds are acquired through donations through the public and our business partners. The money donated to them has helped to provide the care and equipment needed to provide the Charlottesville and Albemarle area with the emergency medical care it requires.
C-ARS is also known as Rescue 1 in the local fire and EMS system. As I’ve said, C-ARS is a volunteer force. They also do not bill for any services rendered to the public, which is another reason why donations are so important. Outside of the city you’ll find Hollymead Fire Rescue (station 12) and Monticello Fire Rescue (station 11). These stations run 1 ambulance each and, due to one reason or another ,are required to bill their patients for any services rendered. They call this ‘revenue recovery’, in which the money they bill you for services goes to the county. It doesn’t really go back to that particular station; it instead goes into the county general fund where it could used for anything. The county will bill between $450 to $750 a transport, not including their cost to fuel. Some may have insurance, where 80% of it might get paid for, but it doesn’t seem proper to bill someone for services when they’re having such a bad day! (the cost for these services are listed in the counties FAQ brochure)
I bring these stations and their costs up because of how many people I’ve met who confuse C-ARS as a billing agency. The Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad does not bill for any service! Hollymead, Monticello, and even Scottsville more recently, but C-ARS! They’ll be there for you whenever you need, so if you can, please help them to help you and the community!
In the event of a motor vehicle accident or special rescue incident, a squad truck is dispatched. These trucks carry very specialized tools to help rescue patients who may be entrapped in a vehicle; such as the jaws of life!
We taught this little fellow how to listen to the beat of a heart!
Bring your best friend down for a check-up! Our open house features a number of events designed to demonstrate our skills to children. This is very helpful, since children can be scared of ambulances if they ever get hurt without having been near one otherwise.
My crew mate Ian gives his friends a tour of the inside of unit 145. Each truck has a lot of room to allow multiple providers to provide care quickly and adequately.
A future Paramedic?…
This is Chief Dayton and Sophie, a member of my crew. Dayton has been with C-ARS for a very long time, and has been our chief for over a decade!
Thank you for your support!
Please visit the C-ARS website here: http://www.rescue1.org/
And keep your eyes on your mailbox!… Made by yours truly
And I guess I should say something like…”all of what I said is my opinion and not that of C-ARS”, just in case o3o
