Virginia Tech Approves New Rescue Squad Facility
Four students founded the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad in 1969 using personal vehicles to answer campus emergency calls, news.vt.edu reported.
The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors Facilities and Administration Committee approved a design review for a dedicated Rescue Squad Facility capital project during its Nov. 9 meeting, advancing the permanent headquarters toward construction.
The Board of Visitors granted construction authorization for the project, which targets a spring 2027 start date and a summer 2028 completion window, according to news.vt.edu.
Student Squad Builds Upgraded Station
The student-run emergency service currently operates out of a converted mailroom originally built for the Military Building off Oak Lane. Over five decades, that space grew to house a kitchen, sleeping quarters, and a meeting room.
The upcoming facility will feature temperature-controlled ambulance bays, expanded medical equipment storage, dedicated spaces for on-site training, an exercise room, and outdoor gathering areas. Alec DiLeonardo, a senior public health student and current rescue squad chief, is overseeing the active phase of the project.
This new station stands as a clear declaration from Virginia Tech that it fully backs our student-run operations,
DiLeonardo said, as reported by news.vt.edu. That space holds a wealth of history. We put a lot of personal effort into making it feel like home, so leaving it behind will certainly be bittersweet.
Fifty-Seven Years of Campus Service
What started as four students—Thomas Spain, Bobby Smallwood, Wayne Modena, and Richard Paul, known as the “Tech Four”—has expanded into a 40-student organization. The unit provides round-the-clock emergency medical care across the campus.
Beyond daily medical response duties, the squad coordinates and staffs emergency medical services for major campus gatherings, including football games, university commencement ceremonies, and concerts, news.vt.edu noted.
Campus Emergency Services Questions
When does construction on the rescue squad station begin?
Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2027 following the design review approval granted by the Board of Visitors Facilities and Administration Committee.
When is the new facility scheduled to open?
The project anticipates completion by summer 2028, providing the 40-student operation with a permanent headquarters equipped with modern training areas and temperature-controlled vehicle bays.
Where is the current rescue squad headquarters located?
The squad currently operates off Oak Lane in a building that previously served as the Military Building’s mailroom before expanding over the decades to include sleeping quarters and a kitchen.
Related reading