It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Bruce Edwards today. Below is the letter from Chief Brazel about this wonderful man.

"I am sad to report that Chief Emeritus Bruce Edwards passed away this morning at a local hospital.  Chief Edwards joined the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad in 1967. He became executive director of the Emergency Coronary Care Program in 1973, leading an effort to deploy the first volunteer ALS providers in Virginia.   In 1975 he became the leader of Virginia Beach EMS at the head of the newly created Office of EMS.   He continued to build EMS and our volunteer rescue squads to departmental status, laying the foundations for the effective organization that it is today.

Chief Edwards was also actively involved in regional and state EMS activities, taking the lead in creating many of medical control and regulatory systems that we rely on every day.   In addition to multiple tours on the EMS Governor’s Advisory Board, he ultimately served as the Chairman of the Virginia Board of Health.

Bruce was promoted to Chief Emeritus in 2016.  In that capacity he remained active as an advisor and mentor over the last four years, making him the longest serving member in the history of the VBEMS organization. 

I could talk for hours about what Bruce has done for all of us and for me personally.  Suffice it to say that we have lost a great public servant and a true giant in EMS.   Please keep Bruce’s family in your thoughts and prayers.

All Department of EMS badges will be draped for the next 5 days."

Sincerely,

Ed Brazle

Edward M. Brazle, Chief

Virginia Beach Department of EMS

Our Vision

To represent the collective pride and aspiration of an ever-growing, ever-improving component of volunteers in Virginia Beach's EMS system.

Our Mission

To be the democratic forum of choice for the leadership of the city's volunteer rescue squads to develop consensus positions on issues of Policy and Advice to the EMS Chief and the City Manager; To be a clearinghouse for certain financial matters that flow to and from the squads; To conduct programs that the leadership of the squads deems to be mutually beneficial.