Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Essex County Emergency Services/ EMS Division

Located at 303 Duke St. in Tappahannock Virginia the Essex County Emergency Services/ EMS Division serves the Essex County Community with staffing two Ambulances 24hrs a day / 7 days a week.

Tappahannock Volunteer Rescue Squad was establishment in 1952.  This all-volunteer organization served Essex County for 60 years.  As time and changes to our county occurred the need to continue EMS Services proved to be challenging.

In 2011 as part of a collaborative effort to improve the emergency medical care to the citizens and visitors of Essex County. The county hired full-time and part-time emergency medical providers from EMT to EMT-Paramedic to maintain continuity of services to the community.

From this collaborative effort came the need to provide service as the number of volunteers unfortunately dwindled.  This presented a challenge to Essex County and the decision to provide services as a department of the county was made. 

Essex County Emergency Services was created to provide emergency services to our community as part of the emergency response system. The services provided are Advanced Life Support, Emergency Medical Care, and Fire/Rescue Services. Personnel are dual trained as Emergency Medical Technicians, Advanced - Emergency Medical Technicians, or Paramedics; personnel are also trained as Firefighters and Driver Operators of Fire Service Apparatus. 

Having dual role trained personnel allows for a partnership with the Tappahannock – Essex Volunteer Fire Department Inc. that is the sole provider for Fire & Rescue Services in Essex County.  Essex County Emergency Services works with the Tappahannock – Essex Volunteer Fire Department to provide Fire, Rescue, and EMS services to our community. 

These services are provided by 18 personnel:

     1  Emergency Services Chief 

     1  Deputy Emergency Services Chief 

     1  EMS Operations Captain

     1  Shift Officers/Lieutenants

    12     FF/EMT’s

The Lieutenants and FF/EMT’s work on one of three shifts for 24 hours on a rotating schedule:

24hrs on; 24hrs off; 24hrs on; 24hrsoff; 24hrs on; 96hrs off

                The Emergency Services Chief, Deputy Emergency Services Chief, EMS Operations Captain work a regular 40hr week and are subject to being called at anytime to assist when needed.