Citizen Volunteers Become Heroes in Danville Lifesaving Crew
danville mayor, health care, heroes, medicine, volunteers, wayne williams,
As a teenager‚ Danville Mayor Dr. Wayne Williams wanted to make a difference in his community. At the age of 16‚ he began training for certification as an emergency medical technician and joined the Danville Lifesaving Crew‚ a volunteer organization that provides free emergency response when local residents call 911. Williams says his two-year experience with the crew led him to pursue a degree in medicine at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.
“Being a member of the lifesaving crew had a profound influence on my life. I had the opportunity to see firsthand what it takes to help others in an emergency situation and help save lives. These are extremely dedicated and well trained individuals who provide an essential service to the community‚” says Williams‚ an ear‚ nose and throat physician who has served as Danville’s mayor since 2006.
During his time with the lifesaving crew‚ Williams worked side-by-side with Jim Mullins‚ another volunteer who has been responding to emergency calls for more than 26 years. Mullins is one of 125 local residents who donate their time and skills to keep the lifesaving crew going strong.
“You’d be surprised how many people think we get a salary. But we’re not motivated by money. We’re motivated by the service we provide to the com munity and the lives we save along the way‚” says Mullins‚ a certified search-and-rescue diver whose 20-year-old daughter also is trained as an EMT.
Funded largely by corporate donations‚ the Danville Lifesaving Crew was formed in 1944 and is headquartered on Christopher Lane‚ with an additional station on the north side of town. Each August‚ the lifesaving crew hosts a charity golf tournament to help cover its annual operating budget of $500‚000.
The crew also offers a ride-along program for medical and fire and rescue professionals in the area as well as for citizens who have no emergency response training. The purpose of the program is twofold: to recruit new members and to educate members of the community about how the crew operates in responding to emergencies. Observers must be at least 16 years old and follow a strict set of guidelines to participate in the program. Once the various requirements are met‚ Mullins says‚ the experience is the best way to comprehend the real scope of the program and the true commitment of its volunteers.
“Until you’ve ridden along on a call‚ it’s hard to understand just how much these volunteers dedicate in the way of their time and themselves for the community‚” says Mullins. “Whenever people see that white and orange truck speed by‚ what they might not realize is that the people inside may have jumped in from their home or office to respond to the call.”
Mullins’ employer‚ Goodyear‚ also has a program in place to ensure first responders are on the scene quickly in the event of an emergency. The company’s Emergency Response Brigade comprises more than 40 Goodyear employees who are certified as EMTs and cross-trained to fight fires.
According to Ronald Knight‚ former manager of safety and health for Goodyear’s Danville plant‚ the Emergency Response Brigade serves as its own non-transporting emergency management agency at the basic life-support level and is classified as a registered fire brigade in the state of Virginia.
“I always say the Goodyear plant is one of the safest places to be in the city. More than 80 percent of the calls the brigade takes are non-occupational in nature‚ such as respiratory or heart problems in employees‚” Knight says.
Story by Valerie Pascoe
Photo by Ian Curcio
