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Volunteer squad: Outdated policy stopping us from responding

Suffolk Fire and Rescue started cracking down on a policy that requires the driver of an ambulance to be certified as at least as an EMT-Enhanced, a certification that has been discontinued and is being phased out

Suffolk News Herald

SUFFOLK, Va. — The Nansemond-Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad hasn’t responded to a single call since March 8, the day before Suffolk Fire and Rescue started cracking down on a policy it says has been in force for years.

Rusty Hundley, a member of the squad’s board of trustees, says the policy requires the driver of an ambulance to be certified at least as an EMT-Enhanced. It’s the second-lowest level in a four-tier system of certifying emergency medical providers in Virginia.

The title of EMT-Enhanced has been discontinued and is being phased out and replaced, but the current certifications are still good for the individual medics until they expire.

Read full story: Policy nudges out volunteers