Southwest Virginia Ems Council Inc

06/22/2026

Please see the information on the moving honors.

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06/19/2026

EMS in Southwest Virginia has lost another pioneer in the EMS system. Dan Glass has served his community for many decades and the community of Russell County.

06/19/2026

06/18/2026

If you were unable to make tonight‘s Townhall, you have another opportunity tomorrow at 6 PM in person at Norton Rescue Squad building. Plan to go live on Facebook at 6 PM as well if you’re unable to attend in person and would like to catch us on Facebook, you’re welcome to do so. 

06/17/2026

Dear EMS agencies, providers, and localities:

Attached is the Southwest Virginia EMS Council June 2026 Newsletter for your review.

This month's newsletter highlights several important initiatives and updates across our region, including:

• Regional EMS Workgroups Formation – The Council has established four new Regional EMS Workgroups to strengthen collaboration, communication, mutual aid, workforce development, and strategic planning among local EMS agencies. Agencies are asked to appoint and register a representative ahead of the first meetings scheduled for August 2026.

• Honoring EMS Pioneers – A tribute recognizing the lives and contributions of William Mays of Norton and Joe Minor of Bristol, two respected leaders whose dedication helped shape emergency medical services throughout Southwest Virginia.

• Agency Communication Practices – An article encouraging EMS agencies to evaluate and clearly define their official communication methods to ensure critical information reaches all personnel effectively and consistently.

• Upcoming AEMT Class Opportunity – Information regarding the Advanced EMT (AEMT) course beginning August 1, 2026, at the Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Virginia.

• Performance Improvement and Data Quality Initiative – An update on ongoing efforts led by Field Representative Jason Busick to improve EMS documentation, data accuracy, reporting compliance, and quality improvement processes across the region through agency support, audits, and collaboration with the Virginia Office of EMS.

We encourage you to review the newsletter and share this information with your agency personnel and partners.
Thank you for your continued commitment to providing exceptional emergency medical services throughout Southwest Virginia EMS Region 1 and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

06/17/2026

🚑 REMINDER: EMS Region 1 Town Hall Meetings Are Almost Here! 🚑

The Virginia Department of Health Office of Emergency Medical Services and the Southwest Virginia EMS Council invite all EMS and local government stakeholders to attend one of the upcoming EMS Region 1 Town Hall Meetings.

This is your opportunity to:
✅ Hear directly from Virginia Office of EMS leadership
✅ Receive updates on regional EMS initiatives
✅ Ask questions and share feedback
✅ Help shape the future of EMS in Southwest Virginia

📅 Wednesday, June 17
🕕 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Virginia Higher Education Center
💻 Virtual attendance available via Google Meet

OR

📅 Thursday, June 18
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 Norton Rescue Squad

We encourage EMS agency leaders, EMS providers, local government officials, healthcare leaders, and public safety partners to attend.

📧 Have a question you’d like addressed during the Town Hall? Send it in advance to [email protected] with the subject line “Town Hall Question.”

Your voice matters. Your region matters. Your EMS system matters.

Stronger Together. Better EMS for Our Communities.

06/15/2026

🚨 Calling All First Responders Who Love to Fish! 🎣 🚨

We are exploring the possibility of organizing a First Responder Fishing Tournament Series to help raise funds for the establishment of a Regional Honor Guard Unit.

The proposed series would consist of four tournaments held on:

✅ South Holston Lake
✅ Boone Lake
✅ Cherokee Lake
✅ Norris Lake

Tournament Details:

* Entry Fee: $100 per boat

* Each boat must include at least one active or retired first responder

* Proposed tournament time: Tuesday evenings from 6:00 PM until 11:00 PM

* Launch locations:
* Observation K**b
(South Holston)

* Boone Dam
(Boone Lake)

* Church House Point
(Cherokee Lake)

* Highway 33 Boat Ramp, Claiborne County
( Norris Lake)

Payout Structure:

* 50% payout to tournament winners top 3 boats

* Big Fish payout at each event

* Bonus payout for the overall series champion among teams that fish all four tournaments with the same boat crew

With many tournaments already taking place on Thursday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays, we are considering Tuesday nights to avoid conflicts and provide another opportunity for anglers to compete.

Before moving forward, we’d like to gauge interest from the first responder community. If this is something you would participate in, please comment below and let us know. If we have enough interest, we’ll make it happen!

Please feel free to share this post with fellow first responders and fishing enthusiasts.