Who We Are

As the only volunteer EMS agency that still regularly answers emergency calls in the City of Richmond, the roots of the West End Volunteer Rescue Squad run through over 50 years of City history.

Established on February 18th, 1960 in a Texaco gas station, we have continued to grow from our simple, humble beginings into a state of the art fixture in the community we serve. Our 24 original members operated a 1955 Cadilliac ambulance out of that Texaco station until we relocated to a 27-foot house trailer in late 1961; this would remain our home for the next 7 years, when our current headquarters was constructed at 1802 Chantilly Street.

Every ambulance we operate is staffed with Advanced Life Support equipment and providers, and maintains the same level of clinical technology and expertise as our partners at the Richmond Ambulance Authority; and while we bear the name of Richmond's West End, we service all areas of the City with 3 ambulances, a vehicle rescue/mass casualty response unit, and a quick response vehicle.

All the equipment and vehicles that we operate would be nothing without the dedicated volunteers that staff them. Our members are men and women that come from many different backgrounds and nationalities, that all share a common thread: A desire to serve.

Why We Need Your Help

West End Rescue operates as part of the Richmond EMS system, and is the only volunteer agency that exclusively services the City of Richmond. Richmond EMS operates one of the busiest and most advanced EMS systems in the country, with some of the most progressive protocols and strictest response time requirements to be found anywhere.

Operating in the Richmond EMS system requires a far higher standard of equipment and training than would be found at a typical volunteer EMS agency in Virginia, and the cost of compliance with these standards represents the majority of our spending. Because we are a non-profit organization that relies on donations and other charitable contributions for the vast majority of our budget, recent economic troubles have severely impacted our income, but the cost of providing care continues to increase. Compounding this is the fact that nearly a quarter of the population that we service lives at or below the poverty line, and so is not in a position to provide donations.

While the Richmond Ambulance Authority, which is the primary EMS agency in Richmond, is certainly capable of providing high level care, West End Rescue is still vitally important to Richmond.

West End Rescue has held to our tradition of helping our neighbors in their time of need for over 50 years. During this time, we have seen a nationwide shift away from volunteer EMS, towards municipal agencies and paid ambulance services; we survived that shift, and have fostered a symbiotic relationship with the Richmond Ambulance Authority that allows us to remain relevant and continue to serve. If we are to continue our tradition of service for the next 50 years, we need your help.