Volunteerism: Looking forward
Posted on 7/25/2022 by Erik H. Reisner
Did you know that the local Fire Departments and the Mad River Valley Ambulance are all staffed 100% by volunteers? So whenever you call 911 for a medical or fire emergency, it is your neighbors that are responding to assist you in your time of need. As the years go by and people move in and out of the Mad River Valley, some of those volunteers also come and go.
With the record number of real estate sales over the past few years, there are a lot of new potential volunteers out there. Could one of them be you? Almost 15 years ago I saw an ad in the Valley Reporter placed by the Mad River Valley Ambulance Service looking for new volunteers. I thought about several times in my life where I had witnessed incidents that left me feeling helpless. All I could do was call 911. I then thought about my 1-year-old daughter, and how I really had no training or knowledge about what to do God forbid there was an emergency within my family.
The ad in the newspaper indicated “no experience necessary,” and that training would be provided. I saw this as an opportunity to get medical training while also being part of, and giving back to the community. At that particular time, there was a shortage of drivers due to a member on medical leave, and a recent retirement. So I jumped at the opportunity, was trained as a driver first, and then became an EMT, and member of the Rescue Team for vehicle extrication and back-country calls.
Might this interest you? If not EMS, the Waitsfield/Fayston, Warren, and Moretown Fire Departments are all looking for volunteers.
If neither of these opportunities are appealing to you, please consider finding another local volunteer organization to join. A community is always so much stronger when everyone finds a way to contribute in some way.
