DAHLGREN, Va. – Janna Roland has dedicated 17-plus years of her life to saving lives.
“I have always been inspired to help others,” said the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) engineering technician.
Her inspiration has not gone unnoticed.
In May 2019, Roland received the NSWCDD Distinguished Community Service Award for outstanding contributions to the community as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for the Chancellor Volunteer Fire and Rescue (CVFR) Department.
Roland’s EMT experience traces to her service in the U.S. Coast Guard from 2001-2008. She continued to volunteer as a first responder in her community, dedicating 300 hours annually to roles including EMT, dispatcher, and the CVFR treasurer.
Established in 1956, the CVFR currently has 145 dedicated volunteers who provide fire and rescue protection for more than 40 square miles encompassing the Route 3 corridor as well as the Five Mile Fork and Chancellorsville Battlefield areas, Salem Fields, Holley Brooke, Smoke Tree and The Timbers, according to the CFR website at https://cvfr.net/
“Throughout the past 60 years these men and women have given so unselfishly for their neighbors in our community and are always ready to serve. For this they remain one of the best fire and rescue organizations in the state,” states the website.
The CVFR is not the only organization of which Roland has dedicated her time.
“Roland selflessly shares her extensive expertise to help those in the local community and abroad,” cites the award.
As an active member of Lifepoint Church, she didn’t hesitate to apply for an overseas medical mission trip to Thailand through Hand of Hope, Joyce Meyer Ministries World Missions. After her application was accepted and a year of preparation, Roland left Oct. 25, 2018 for the 11-day trip.
Joining a team of 27 medical and dental professionals, Roland provided care to over 1,600 patients, ranging from pediatric to geriatric, in five days in a primarily open-air-tent under extremely challenging conditions.
Working 12-plus hour days, Roland lent her expertise to critical areas such as the triage phase where she evaluated patients with various infirmities and determined the best care possible.
In Thailand, nobody was turned away.
Whether at home or abroad, Roland answers the call – wherever she is.
“I am fulfilled when I can give back. We are called to care for each other, and I have been blessed with a strong desire to serve in any way I can,” she said.