Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue Team

10/23/2023

Save the date! 📆 November 1st and November 2nd! 🍕🍕TWO days to support TWO great organizations🍕🍕 California Pizza Kitchen at Town Center will be donating 20% of all food and beverage sales to support Vigilant Watch Inc. and Virginia Beach Fire Foundation! Don't forget to mention this flyer to your server! Please share!



Virginia Beach Fire Department
Virginia Beach Police Department
Virginia Beach EMS
Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office
Virginia Beach Emergency Communications & Citizen Services

10/18/2023

10/18/2023

More than 150 first responders from across the country are in Virginia Beach this week sharpening skills and learning new techniques on how to rescue victims in a building collapse.

10/18/2023

10/03/2023

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Please join us Friday, Oct. 20 from 5-9:00 p.m. for a fundraiser hosted by Second, Pups and Pints, 2413 London Bridge Road, to support MFF Matt Gallina and his family. All proceeds will go to the Gallina family to help Matt fight his advanced esophageal cancer. Please come out and join Matt and his family for a fun-filled evening of silent auctions, raffles, beverage specials and more.

09/08/2023

TOMORROW- WE CARRY. Thank you to all who have signed up to join us for the 4th Annual 9-11 Honor Carry. We meet at 0730 at the oceanfront, we have an email going out with all the details 🇺🇸

There is still time to register, we could use few more to get the 9-11 Honor Log down the Oceanfront.

carryon-usa.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTg3ODY5

08/28/2023

Eighty members of Virginia Task Force 2 were activated as a Type 1 Task Force at 1400 hours today, Aug. 28, 2023, in response to Tropical Cyclone Idalia. The team will depart the Harry E. Diezel Training Center, 927 South Birdneck Road, at 2200 hours this evening. An additional 14 members will support the Incident Support Team (IST). The team will stage in Orlando, Florida, until further direction from FEMA. They will assist local agencies with requests for assistance as needed. FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue Team Norfolk Fire-Rescue Portsmouth Fire Rescue & Emergency Services Chesapeake Fire Department
City of Suffolk Department of Fire & Rescue Williamsburg Fire Department Hampton Fire
Henrico County Division of Fire James City County Fire Department Navy Region Fire Rescue MidAtlantic Newport News Fire Department York County Interagency Coalition

08/03/2023

07/10/2023

Members of Virginia Task Force 2 Activated to Support Flooding Response in Vermont

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (July 10, 2023) — Eight members of Virginia Task Force 2 were activated at 2130 hours on Sunday, July 9, 2023, in response to the storms and flooding in Vermont. The team departed at 0100 hours Monday morning after preparing the Incident Support Team (IST) cache for deployment. The team arrived in Lebanon, VT at approximately 1400 hours on July 10, 2023. Two additional FEMA IST members were activated today and are due to arrive in Vermont later this evening. They will rendezvous with FEMA IST in Vermont and assist local agencies with requests for assistance as needed.

VATF-2 USAR is one of 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Teams positioned across the country. The Virginia Beach Fire Department is the sponsoring agency for VATF-2. VATF-2 has conducted search and rescue operations in the aftermath of numerous disasters.
Virginia Beach Professional Fire & EMS Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue Team

06/17/2023

Please join Chief Ken Pravetz in congratulating Jessica Xenakis, life safety education coordinator, as the 2023 Fire & Life Safety Educator of the Year. She was chosen as the best of the best from nominations submitted from across the US & Canada. https://bit.ly/43JGEE6

Virginia Beach City Government Virginia Beach Professional Fire & EMS VBSchools National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Virginia Fire & Life Safety Coalition Virginia Fire Chiefs Association, Inc. Virginia Department of Fire Programs International Association of Fire Fighters

05/31/2023

The community is invited to show "Love For VB" in remembrance of the lives lost and forever changed in May 2019. On Wednesday, May 31, 2023, wear blue, the color of remembrance. Wherever you are, partake in a Moment of Silence at 4:06 p.m., the time that the first 911 call was received. Join us in the Year Four Remembrance Ceremony at 8 p.m. in front of City Hall, 2401 Courthouse Dr. to remember those we lost, lift up survivors and all those affected and still healing. Learn more at https://virginiabeach.gov/whats-up/whats-the-scoop/love-for-vb-remembering-may-31-2019.

05/14/2023

Please join Fire Chief Ken Pravetz in congratulating all the competitors in this weekend’s Firefighter Challenge and Stihl Timbersports. We are extremely proud of the outstanding performance from members of the VBFD that participated in the 2023 Firefighter Challenge Northeast Region and Southeast Region over the weekend. This event brought firefighters and lumberjacks from 24 states across the United States to compete Individually, Tandems, Relays and Teams. We would like to recognize the following VBFD individuals:

Assistant Chief Lorna Trent
Captain Keith Ashbury
Firefighter Kevin Berard
Master Firefighter Marquel Davis
Firefighter Cayla Harper
Firefighter Katie Lyons
Probationary Firefighter Nicolas Simmons
Probationary Firefighter Ellie Vest
Probationary Firefighter Svetlana Yeager

Pictured are VBFD award recipients: Captain Keith Ashbury, Firefighter Cayla Harper, Master Firefighter Marquel Davis and Probationary Firefighter Svetlana Yeager.

Captain Keith Ashbury Awards:
3rd Place Overall Event Male Age 50-59 Category
2nd Place 2023 Southeast Region Male Age 50-59 Category

Firefighter Cayla Harper Awards:
1st Place Overall Event Female Division 2
1st Place 2023 Southeast Region Female Division 2
3rd Place 2023 Southeast Coed Tandem Category
Qualified for the Lion’s Den. Individual Female who finished under 3 minutes

Master Firefighter Marquel Davis Awards:
2nd Place Overall Event Male Division 2
2nd Place 2023 Southeast Region Male Division 2
3rd Place 2023 Southeast Coed Tandem Category

Probationary Firefighter Svetlana Yeager Awards:
1st Place Overall Event Female Division 3
1st Place 2023 Southeast Region Female Division 3

It was an amazing show of strength, athleticism, endurance, and comradery. Looking forward to next year’s competition!

STIHL Timbersports Firefighter Challenge Virginia Beach Professional Fire & EMS Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue Team Virginia Beach Fire Foundation

05/14/2023

Congratulations to our 2023 Overall Event Male Division 2 winners!

1st Place: Trey Thompson, St Lucie County (FL) Fire District
2nd Place: Marquel Davis, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department
3rd Place: Charles Bohemke, Brentwood (TN) Fire & Rescue

05/14/2023

Congratulations to our Overall Event Male Age 50-59 category winners!

1st Place: David Bowman, Charlotte (NC) Fire Dept.
2nd Place: Ben Akins, Charleston (IL) Fire Department
3rd Place: Keith Ashbury, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department

05/14/2023

Congratulations to our Overall Event Female Division 2 winners!

1st Place: Cayla Harper, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department
2nd Place: Remi Roberts, Charlotte (NC) Fire Department
3rd Place: Belinda Dotson, Orange County (FL) Firefighters Association

05/14/2023

Congratulations to our Overall Event Male Age 50-59 (combined with Age 60-69) Relay category winners!

1st Place: Run Like the Winded
Members include: Ben Akins, Joe Arico, Keith Ashbury, David Bowman and Jonathan Fleming

2nd Place: Highly Combustible
Members include: Bill Christiansen, Brad Duncan and Alan Ertzner

05/14/2023

Congratulations to our 2023 Southeast Region Male Age 50-59 category winners!

1st Place: David Bowman, Charlotte (NC) Fire Dept.
2nd Place: Keith Ashbury, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department (in photo)
3rd Place: Garrett Stokes, Spartanburg (SC) City Fire Department

05/14/2023

Congratulations to our 2023 Southeast Region Male Division 2 winners!

1st Place: Trey Thompson, St Lucie County (FL) Fire District (not in photo)
2nd Place: Marquel Davis, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department
3rd Place: Charles Bohemke, Brentwood (TN) Fire & Rescue

05/14/2023

Congratulations to our 2023 Southeast Region Female Division 2 winners!

1st Place: Cayla Harper, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department
2nd Place: Remi Roberts, Charlotte (NC) Fire Department
3rd Place: Belinda Dotson, Orange County (FL) Firefighters Association

05/14/2023

Congratulations to our 2023 Southeast Region Female Division 3 winners!

1st Place: Svetlana Yeager, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department (in photo)
2nd Place: Maria Fernandez, St Lucie County (FL) Fire District
3rd Place: Samantha Norene, St. Lucie County (FL) Fire District

05/14/2023

Congratulations to our 2023 Southeast Region Champions in the COED Tandem Category winners!

1st Place: Thunder & Lightning
Members include: Hannah Boorman and Brian Riebe (not present for photo)

2nd Place: Puss and Boots
Members include: Andrew Cook and Sarah McGill

3rd Place: Virginia Beach FD
Members include: Marquel Davis and Cayla Harper

05/14/2023

Our 2023 Southeast and Northeast Regions Firefighter Challenge Championship has concluded. Winners will be announced later today after our awards ceremony. We congratulate all of our competitors for their outstanding performances this week! We also thank the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach Fire Dept, STIHL, MissionSquare Retirement and our many other incredible sponsors who make our events possible.

05/13/2023

VA Beach 2023, 05/10/2023-05/13/2023,

05/13/2023

LET THE FINAL DAY OF GAMES BEGIN!! WELCOME to Day 3, the FINAL day of Festival of Champions!

Come on by and cheer on your VBFD TEAM, STIHL Timbersports athletes and all the participating competitors!

SATURDAY - May 13
9:00 a.m. – Opening Ceremony
9:30 a.m. – Firefighter Challenge: Southeast Regional Individual Category Title Competition Final
1:00 p.m. – STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® U.S. Trophy

NOTE: All awards earned during the entire event will be announced on Saturday evening after our special awards ceremony dinner.

FMI: www.virginiabeach.gov/foc

Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue Team Firefighter Challenge Virginia Beach Professional Fire & EMS Virginia Beach City Government