The Waynesboro First Aid Crew (Rescue One) provides primary rescue and emergency medical services to the City of Waynesboro and the eastern portion of Augusta County.

We are an entirely volunteer organization with over 90 active members. All calls are answered entirely by volunteers; no one receives compensation for his or her work. The Crew was established in 1951 to serve the prehospital medical care and rescue needs of our community. We are located at 201 W. Broad Street in Waynesboro, Virginia.

We are a member of the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads (VAVRS), district one. We currently average over 4,500 calls per year. We are located in between the Blue Ridge, Shenandoah, and Alleghany mountains of Virginia, about 150 miles south of Washington, D.C. and 100 miles west of Richmond. Our primary response area includes parts of I-64, US-250, US-340, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, as well as agricultural and urban developments. We are dispatched primarily by Waynesboro Emergency Operations Center (EOC), but also by Augusta EOC for calls in Augusta County and the surrounding area. Our primary dispatch frequency is 453.850 MHz. We are dispatched with a tone alert system; most of our members are issued radios or pagers which alert them to calls via the tones. Assignment of apparatus to emergency calls is determined based on the location and nature of the call.

We operate five 4WD basic and advanced life support ambulances, one 4WD advanced life support rapid response vehicle, one heavy and one 4WD light duty rescue truck with extrication and technical rescue equipment, a water rescue van with two boats, a hummer (H1), a van, and a rescue incident trailer. All our equipment and buildings are owned by the Crew and were purchased with the generous donations of our community.

The Crew has over 80 members trained in basic (EMT-B) and advanced life support (EMT-ST, EMT-E, EMT-CT, EMT-I, and Paramedic) skills. ALS certification includes at least 600 hours of classroom training and months of practical rotations in the hospital, along with a minimum of 40 hours of continuing education annually. ALS personnel also are tested for continued proficiency three times a year by the Central Shenandoah EMS Council. ALS technicians are trained to initiate advanced medical and airway procedures for critically injured trauma and medical patients. EMT-B's receive 120 hours of classroom training, 10 hours of practical rotations, and are certified to initiate immediate interventions for trauma and medical patients both on scene and en route to the hospital. Many of our local fire departments are also staffed with first responders who are trained to provide care on scene until the arrival of an ambulance. All of our units carry automated external defibrillators, and all of our ambulances carry advanced cardiac monitors capable of performing electrocardiograms (EKG's) and converting cardiac arrythmias. All of our members' skills are continually reviewed by our ALS/BLS Committee and monthly training drills are conducted to review skills and procedures.

Volunteer membership is available to interested persons at least 16 years of age who are willing to donate time towards helping the community. All training is provided free of charge, and members are encouraged to pursue training opportunities for both medical and rescue certifications. We have membership levels available for people who wish only to help with administrative duties or with special operations such as technical and water rescue.

Services provided:

• Basic and advanced life support
• Technical rescue - vertical, high-angle, and trench rescue
• Vehicle rescue and extrication
• Farm machinery rescue and extrication
• Water and SCUBA rescue
• Community service
• Fire suppression support
• EMS and rescue classes
• Public education classes
• CPR training