It was a one-two punch from John Whited and Julie Greene, and their messages focused on the Knoxville Volunteer Emergency Rescue Squad (KVERS). Whited is the deputy chief, and Greene is the squad’s community outreach coordinator.
Both were guests of the Rotary Club of Farragut yesterday (Wednesday) and together presented a very interesting program about the work of the rescue squad and its 150 volunteers.
Many people do not realize that the KVERS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Only two people in the squad earn a salary – Whited and the squad’s administrative assistant. Their operating funds are a combination of money from Knox County, the city of Knoxville, United Way and donations. Its operating budget is approximately $500,000.
Whited, 51, joined the squad when he was 16 and a student at Farragut High School. That was 35 years ago. Greene has been in her position for a year. “I have a deep sense of purpose about the rescue squad and what it means to our community,” she said to the Rotarians. “There is something in these heroes of ours that’s extra special, doing all of this as volunteers. Those big green trucks are special.”
The rescue squad works hand in hand with Rural Metro and is a critical part of our emergency services that can save lives.
Whited took a trip down memory lane to when the squad was established in 1958. It was founded by 10 men, who were supported by a group of women called “Crewettes.”
“We don’t have Crewettes now,” he said to some laughter.
“Today we have four specialty teams and 150 volunteers with a lot of heart and passion.”
KVERS primarily serves Knox County, but some of its specialty teams do work outside of Knox County and even outside of Tennessee when needed.
Last year they responded to more than 2,000 vehicle accidents. “We go out on every car wreck in the county,” he said. “And that number is growing every year. Rural Metro is the first responder, then us, the ambulances and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Our trucks have the ‘Jaws of Life’ on each, and Rural Metro does not have that tool. It is a very expensive piece of equipment but very necessary.”
Whited shared a few specific parts of what the squad provides:
- The squad has its emergency trailers and personnel at all University of Tennessee football games to handle a major emergency that involves large numbers of people.
- It handles cave rescues in East Tennessee. “We have a lot of caves in Knox County,” he said.
- The squad handles all dive and water rescue emergencies that require a great deal of technical expertise. For example, KVERS is a presence at the popular KARM Dragon Boat Races at Concord Park and The Cove. The squad even sent volunteers to the massive flooding in Houston, Texas, in August 2017. They search for and recover all drowning victims here.
- The recent number of small earthquakes in our area has the squad and other emergency agencies talking about what to do in the case of a larger quake and how to deal with issues such as bridges or structures being destroyed.
- The squad also has trench rescue and heavy rescue teams.
But guess what gets the most reaction from the public on the squad’s social media? “It’s not something that happens to you all,” Whited told the packed room. He then showed pictures of horse and dog rescues. “It takes the same skill set, and this is what the public reacts to. People love their animals.”
If you would like to know more about the rescue squad and possibly volunteering, visit the website or call Julie Greene at 865-546-4824 or email her.
If you’re interested in exploring membership in Farragut Rotary, drop me an email or call me at (865) 659-3562. We meet at 12:15 p.m. each Wednesday at Fox Den Country Club. Join us as a guest and see how you like Rotary!