Wee-oo-wee-oo! Time is of the essence when at the fire station!
On today's Roam RoCo, I got to visit Vinton Fire Station, Roanoke County Station #2, where I heard the calls roll in, in addition to getting the exclusive tour!
Upon my arrival, it didn't take long before a call came through. Firefighter/EMT Hughes, Paramedic/Firefighter Cargill, and Paramedic student Caleb hopped in the ambulance and headed for their call. In the meantime, I got to do the daily truck check with Firefighter/EMT Callahan.
There's a full routine of things to check every day to ensure the firetruck is fully operational when calls are made. We checked the water pressure as well as the air pressure in the bottles and that the air was working. We made sure the air pressure in the RIT Team bottle of air was in the correct PSI range. While we went around and checked the other items off the checklist, we were also paying attention to all the lights to make sure they were working and flashing.
Just when we finished the truck check, a second call came through. I hopped on the firetruck with Lieutenant Ratcliff, Firefighter/EMT Callahan, and Field Training Officer King to head to the scene. FTO King explained they have an app on their phones that gives a brief description of the call. This allows the team to be better prepared upon arriving and for the care provided to be more efficient and seamless.
While in route, we yielded to the ambulance from Station #2 that was just returning from the hospital. Roanoke County Fire and Rescue team members are cross-trained so that they can respond to both a fire or rescue call. While we were headed to a rescue scene with a firetruck, the staff onboard were qualified to begin care until an ambulance from a neighboring station could meet us and transport the patient if needed.
We were on scene for a few minutes while the team provided care and transported the patient. Once arriving back to the station, I got a tour of the station from Community Outreach Coordinator Brian Clingenpeel.
One of the things that makes the Vinton Fire Station standout in comparison to the Cave Spring Fire Station, Roanoke County Station #3, is that it houses the Vinton Volunteer First Aid Crew. This team of volunteers fills in when needed and often takes on calls while the career staff is out responding to additional calls. 
While on the tour, I saw the kitchen and exercise room, and I got to experience just how cold they keep their bunk rooms. As a naturally cold person, I thought it was just me, but Brian confirmed the bunk rooms are kept cold intentionally to provide the best atmosphere for sleep.
In talking with Field Training Officer Patterson and Lieutenant Ratcliff, it was clear how much the value serving the community and appreciate the family-like dynamic formed among the team!
Check out more in the video above, or in the condensed version here.