Hero:  Members of the VT Rescue Squad say it was the call they’ll never forget

    The Virginia Tech Rescue Squad responds to calls on campus everyday.
    “We all have a joke around here that says your first major is the rescue squad, and your second major is whatever you’re really planning on majoring in,“ volunteer Joanna Romanyshyn said.
    But on that cold day in April, Romanyshyn and other volunteers responded to something they never expected and will never forget.
    “It sounded like a normal everyday call, when it first was dispatched.  We had no idea what was going to happen through the rest of the day,“ volunteer James Downing said.
    Downing and Romanyshyn are seniors now at Virginia Tech.  Both were called to Norris Hall on April 16th.
    “It felt surreal for a while until everything started to sink in,“ Romanyshyn said.
    “When you’re overwhelmed in a situation like that, your training kicks in pretty instantly,“ Downing said.
    The Virginia Tech Rescue Squad was the primary agency that responded on April 16th – meaning the volunteers were in charge, even setting up a command center here in this ambulance bay.
    “We had different teams going in different directions.  We had different people in charge of different places,“ Downing said.
      The task those 38 squad members volunteered to do almost a year ago is something they say has changed them forever.
      “You mentally prepare for calls now.  When you have a normal call go out, it may not be what you expect it to be,“ he said.
      “I definitely think we all still think about it.  It’s something that stays with you,“ Romanyshyn said.