Paramedic with Blairs Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Late in 2020 Emily responded to a call for someone choking. Soon after the crew arrived, the patient went into cardiac arrest, and Emily jumped into action and began performing CPR, ultimately bringing the patient's pulse back.

"It was pretty awesome because that doesn't happen very often," she said. "That's the greatest accomplishment a medic can have is getting someone's pulse back."

As a paramedic that responds to calls as a volunteer with Blairs and as a career EMS provider with Pittsylvania County Public Safety, Emily is always running through scenarios in her mind and planning how she could help her patient in different situations.

"You need to be confident in your skill and know what to do in the event that something turns for the worst with your patient," she said. "You need to know what to do and not have to think about it."

Firefighter at Riverbend Volunteer Fire Department

When the City of Danville annexed from Pittsylvania County, the Westover Hills Fire Department was stuck inside Danville's borders while there was no station protecting a small portion of Pittsylvania County on the southwest of Danville. So Doc, a longtime volunteer with Westover Hills, and several others worked together to form and build the Riverbend volunteer Fire Department, which continues to protect that small section of Pittsylvania County.

In the more than three decades since the department was formed, Doc has spent time on the Board of Directors and has always been one of the most consistent responders. Doc will turn 90 later this month, yet he still responds to calls frequently and embodies the selflessness of all the volunteers in Pittsylvania County.

Building and Grounds Lieutenant for Cascade Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Jordan began volunteering with a local fire station about four years ago. Knowing that there weren't enough volunteers and holding a deep desire to help people motivated him to join.

"I'm always doing something for the fire department or I'm running a call… if the call comes out, I'm leaving my dinner table to go run it if I'm available."

Chief Eric Clark described Jordan as "our go-to guy for many things" at the department.

Earlier this year the Cascade station went from a first responder to a transport agency, meaning that it can now transport patients in an ambulance. Jordan, along with three others from his department, is now in the midst of the Rescue Academy with the Danville Life Saving and First Aid Crew, Inc. so that he can become a certified EMT.

Chairman of the Board at Mount Cross Volunteer Fire & Rescue and Chairman of the Fire and Rescue Commission

After getting his EMT in high school, Bryan began volunteering with the Danville Life Saving and First Aid Crew, Inc., something that he continued during the 1990s. He ended up stepping away from volunteering for a while due to work and family requirements. Years and years later, Bryan's son found a box of his memorabilia from the Life Saving Crew and decided that he wanted to get certified and volunteer with Mount Cross. At the requests of his son, Bryan decided to get recertified and join Mount Cross alongside of his son in 2015.

"I could only put up resistance for so long."

Since then Bryan has served in several positions with the department, where both of his sons now volunteer, taken on the role of Deputy Chief of the Life Saving Crew, and became the President of the Fire and Rescue Commission.

"I'm really excited to be on the Fire and Rescue Commission... anytime we have a chance to take something and make it better, that's a win for everybody."

Chief at Brosville Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Carolyn Jarrett moved her way through the ranks of the Brosville Volunteer Fire Department over the last two decades, and three years ago she became the first and only female chief in all of Pittsylvania County. Many of her department members had been encouraging her to run to be chief for years.

"My peers, my fellow firefighters, they've got to have a lot of confidence in me to think that I can do that," she said.

Despite all the administrative work, financial decisions, and fundraising, Jarrett still responded to 360 calls in 2020, which equates to just under one call per day.

"I'm still there and putting in as much as I can. I tell my members that I'm not going to ask them to do anything that I would not do."

Assistant Chief at Callands Volunteer Fire and Rescue

When Tim was asked to become the chaplain of Callands Volunteer Fire and Rescue in 2012, he stepped into that role with no intention of becoming a volunteer to run calls. But the more that he worked with the volunteers at the station, the more he saw the need for more volunteers.

"At that point I began to pursue training to fill other roles in the department," Tim, now a firefighter and EMT, said.

In the years since, Tim has maintained his role of chaplain, while also taking on positions like EMS Captain and now Assistant Chief. He invests his time and has completed the necessary training "so I could be involved in every facet of the department." And actually responding to fires and medical emergencies has helped him to be an even better chaplain.

"I go into the fire with them. I understand. I've been there, I've been on the tough calls."