Western Virginia EMS Council, Inc.

11/12/2026

Reminder of this great education opportunity coming up!

🔥 BURN TRAUMA EDUCATION | NOVEMBER 13, 2026

Join the VCU Burn Center for an evening of education focused on the assessment, treatment, and management of burn patients in the prehospital setting.

Topics include burn resuscitation, burn assessment, inhalation injuries, smoke inhalation, and wound care.

A great opportunity for EMS providers to strengthen their knowledge and improve the care they provide to burn patients.

11/06/2026

2026 VAFR Winter Symposium – Course Spotlight: Chaplain Program

First responders are often called to help others through their most difficult moments. But who supports those who answer the call?

Our **Chaplain Program** at the 2026 VAFR Winter Symposium highlights the important role chaplains play in supporting first responders, their families, and the communities they serve.

From providing emotional and spiritual support to helping individuals navigate tragedy, loss, and crisis, chaplains are an invaluable part of the emergency services family.

Join us December 3–6, 2026, at Kalahari Resorts in Spotsylvania, Virginia, as we continue strengthening the skills, resources, and support available to Virginia's first responders.

Register today at www.vafr.org

Don't forget! The discounted hotel room block deadline is November 9!

11/04/2026

UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITY – MCI I & II

The Danville Area Training Center, in partnership with Tunstall Fire & Rescue, will be offering Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) I & II Training!

MCI I – Awareness | December 10, 2026

Covers MCI fundamentals, incident recognition, initial response, and scene organization. Open to ALL members, including juniors with appropriate consent!

MCI II – Operations | December 11, 2026

Focuses on patient triage, treatment priorities, transportation, resource management, and interagency coordination. EMT certification or higher required.

Time: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM each evening

Location: Tunstall Fire & Rescue
740 Tunstall High Rd, Dry Fork, VA 24549

Certificates of completion will be awarded for each successfully completed course!

Registration: [email protected]

Plan. Prepare. Respond. Be ready before the incident happens!

Please share with your fellow Fire & EMS personnel!

11/02/2026

VAFR WINTER SYMPOSIUM 2026

7 DAYS LEFT!

Hotel Reservation Deadline: November 9

$179 per night — Special group rate

Additional room nights available!

Reserve now before the special rate expires.

December 3–6, 2026 | Kalahari Resorts

10/27/2026

Friday evening, Floyd County EMS had a great time training seven members of our community in Stop the Bleed!

These life-saving skills can make a critical difference when someone experiences severe bleeding. Knowing what to do in those first few moments can help save a life before emergency responders arrive.

We encourage everyone in our community to take the time to learn these important skills. You never know when you might be in a position to help a family member, friend, coworker, or even a stranger. Being prepared can make all the difference!

Thank you to everyone who participated and took this important step toward making Floyd County a safer, stronger community.

Be prepared. Be empowered. Help save a life!

10/27/2026

🚁 FIRST RESPONDERS — MARK YOUR CALENDARS! 🚒🚑

Mount Hermon Fire & Rescue is proud to host an LZ Training Class with HCA Virginia Health System Air Care Eagle and EMS on November 14, 2026, at 10:30 AM! This training is an excellent opportunity for first responders to strengthen their knowledge, improve scene safety, and learn more about landing zone operations and helicopter emergency medical services. CE hours will be available!

📍 Mount Hermon Fire & Rescue
4268 Franklin Turnpike, Danville, VA 24540

📞 For more information, contact Fire Captain Fitzgerald at 434-251-7925.

We look forward to seeing our fellow first responders there! 🚨

10/26/2026

10/26/2026

🚨🚨REGISTRATION IS OPEN🚨🚨

The New River Valley EMS Expo is coming December 4–6, 2026!

Three days dedicated to EMS education, connecting with fellow providers, and meeting experts in our region.

Check out the schedule and register at:

wvems.org/nrv-ems-expo

Share this with your agency and we hope to see you at the Expo!

10/24/2026

Today, Western Virginia EMS Council conducted its EMS Education Coordinator Development Workshop, bringing a focus to one of the most important responsibilities in EMS: developing effective educators who can build stronger, more competent EMS providers!

EMS education is about much more than delivering PowerPoint presentations or checking off training requirements. It requires understanding how adults learn, identifying educational needs, developing meaningful training experiences, and ensuring providers can apply what they’ve learned in real-world patient care.

Today’s workshop focused on:

📘 Adult Learning Strategies – Understanding how EMS professionals learn and retain information.

📝 Lesson Plan Design – Developing structured, measurable, and effective educational experiences.

🚑 Scenario Development – Creating realistic, engaging training scenarios that promote critical thinking and clinical decision-making.

🎯 Competency Assessment – Moving beyond course completion to evaluating actual provider knowledge, skills, and performance.

💡 The goal is simple: Better Educators → Better Training → Better EMS Providers → Better Patient Care!

A special thank-you to everyone who participated in today’s workshop and contributed their experiences, ideas, and perspectives.

10/24/2026

Artificial Intelligence is changing our world. What about for EMS?

Explore the basics of AI and what it could mean for EMS providers and the future of emergency medical services.

Register at: wvems.org/vilt