Update:
When you call 911, it’s EMS providers who are often the first on the scene, bringing critical care directly to your door. This week is National EMS Week, a time to recognize the people who respond to emergencies big and small.
Tyrece Legans, a paramedic firefighter for Roanoke County Fire and Rescue, shared what makes his job so meaningful.
“Prior to this I really haven’t had a job that’s as rewarding as this. I try to help people,” Legans said.
Legans is part of Roanoke County Fire and Rescue, where he says no two calls are alike. One moment it’s a fall or minor injury; the next, a life-threatening emergency.
“But at the end of the day, you have to revert back to your training and just remember, hey, you know what to do,” he explained.
That unpredictability is exactly why Roanoke County Fire and Rescue personnel are all cross-trained.
Brian Clingenpeel, the community outreach coordinator for Roanoke County Fire and Rescue, emphasized the importance of this training.
“We are all at least an EMT and then many of us are paramedics because that’s primarily what we are going to do is the EMS portion of our job. So when we say we are Roanoke County Fire and Rescue, it’s that rescue part, the EMS part of the job that is about 80-85 percent of what we do,” Clingenpeel said.
Across Virginia, nearly 40,000 EMS providers responded to 1.74 million calls last year, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
While Legans focuses on saving lives, he knows his family is thinking of him during every shift.
“But I’m sure they have that worry when I’m not there, like, what call is he going to, is he going to be safe, is he going to make it home type of deal,” he said.
Some calls stay with him, like the day he helped bring a new life into the world.
“We got there and sure enough she was in labor and we had to deliver the baby, yeah it couldn’t wait,” Legans recalled. “I was able to provide care, actually deliver the baby, held the baby and done everything I could, and everything worked out.”
The job is demanding, and the outcomes aren’t always certain. But for Legans, the reward is clear.
Original:
This week, May 18–24, marks Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, a time to recognize the essential work of EMS personnel across Virginia.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, nearly 40,000 EMS providers and 548 agencies serve the Commonwealth, responding to 1.74 million calls last year—an average of more than 4,700 each day.
Roanoke County Fire & Rescue is taking part in the statewide observance. Community Outreach Coordinator Brian Clingenpeel says EMS calls make up 80 to 85% of their emergency responses, highlighting just how vital these services are to local residents.
To learn more about the important role of EMS in our communities, tune in to 10 News tonight.