Waynesboro First Aid Crew

08/24/2026

🎉 75 Years of Answering the Call 🚑

This weekend, we proudly celebrated 75 years of service by the Waynesboro First Aid Crew (WFAC)-- a milestone honoring generations of volunteers, staff, supporters, and community partners who have dedicated themselves to helping others in their time of need.

Founded in December 1950, WFAC began with a vision to serve the community. Since answering its first emergency calls in 1951, the Crew has spent 75 years providing lifesaving, prehospital emergency care to the citizens of Waynesboro and the surrounding area.

The anniversary celebration was proudly sponsored by the WFAC Auxiliary and co-sponsored by the WFAC Board of Directors. Steven Ward, Executive Director of WFAC, served as Master of Ceremonies for the celebration.

The celebration brought together current and former members, city officials, public safety leaders, and community supporters to reflect on WFAC's history and recognize the people who have made its success possible. We were honored to receive a proclamation from the City of Waynesboro recognizing WFAC's decades of service, community impact, and commitment to public safety.

Guests also heard inspiring stories from longtime members who shared memories spanning generations of service. Their reflections highlighted the values that have defined WFAC for 75 years—dedication, teamwork, leadership, and a commitment to helping others.

As WFAC Vice Chairman Ashley Cook shared, "WFAC taught me responsibility, teamwork, and what it truly means to serve others." Those lessons continue to shape the lives of members today, just as they have for generations.

Most importantly, this celebration was an opportunity to thank every volunteer, auxiliary member, career staff member, family member, and supporter who has contributed to WFAC's legacy. Your dedication has strengthened our community and helped save countless lives.

This was more than a celebration of our history—it was a celebration of the purpose that continues to guide us forward.

🎉 Congratulations to the Waynesboro First Aid Crew on 75 years of service, excellence, and answering the call. Here's to the next chapter of serving our community! 🚑❤️

07/25/2026

Congratulations to the Blue Ridge Community College paramedic class of 2026.

Yesterday marked the completion of paramedic school for several members of our agency. We are especially proud to celebrate the six of you that have been balancing homework and clinical shifts while continuing to provide an important service to our community members.

Congratulations to Jane, James, Will, Jordan, Reba, and Kirksey. Your hard work has paid off and our agency is brighter because of each of you.

06/19/2026

It’s that time of year!!!!! Every summer WFAC hosts annual skills days for local providers to come and train. WFAC Captains put together several, real life, high acuity scenarios for providers to ensure these calls receive the best quality care. Thank you to Dooms Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. for their participation with us! We look forward to finishing out the next two days next week.

06/05/2026

Please join WFAC in congratulating a professional healthcare provider and “nurse legend”- Jim Miller, RN, CFRN, BSN, NR-P, Flight Nurse, and AirCare 5 Base Supervisor of PHI Air Medical who has served the Shenandoah Valley as a quality nurse, paramedic, and educator for many years. Jim is a true professional who’s shown by example that excellence is something to aim for every day. He has shown what the true meaning of dedication, professionalism, and loyalty is by his strong commitment given toward caring for others. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with so many EMS providers! Congratulations Jim and best wishes on your well deserved retirement! 🎉👨🏻‍⚕️⚕️🚁🚨

Dear Friends,

After 21 unforgettable years as a flight nurse at AirCare 5, I’m retiring today. It’s hard to put into words what this journey has meant to me. To my coworkers and teammates: thank you for being my second family. This profession demands skill, courage, and heart—but it is the teams we build and the lives we touch that make it truly meaningful. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the very best; and I am endlessly grateful for every lesson, every challenge, and every moment shared. We’ve shared challenges, victories, long nights, and moments that tested and strengthened us all. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to stand beside. To everyone I’ve met along the way; patients, partners, and colleagues thank you for allowing me to be part of your stories. You’ve taught me resilience, compassion, and the true meaning of service. I leave this career incredibly grateful and humbled. I will miss the work, but most of all, I’ll miss the people. Take care of each other and keep doing the amazing work that makes such a difference every day.

Sincerely,

Jim

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Jim, Congratulations on a stunning career as a flight nurse. We have been so lucky to have your steady leadership over the last 21 years. You have helped shape AirCare 5 into a beacon of hope for the Shenandoah Valley—we all thank you for your courage and expertise. May your retirement be as incredible as your career with PHI Air Medical. We promise to keep the mission going 🚁

06/04/2026

Please join us in congratulating Firefighter Josh Major from the City of Waynesboro Fire Department on his successful firefighter career and well deserved retirement! 🎉👏 Josh you’ve spent your career putting out fires and saving lives, but your impact on the EMS community will never be forgotten. 🚑 Thank you for your dedication and strong commitment toward saving lives and protecting property throughout the Waynesboro community! Happy Retirement!! 🎉🧑🏻‍🚒🚒🚨

We would like to congratulate Firefighter Josh Major on his well-deserved retirement, which became effective today.

Josh began his journey with our department as a volunteer and was hired full-time in November 1999. For more than two decades, he has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the fire service, the department, and the citizens of Waynesboro.

From the beginning, Josh distinguished himself as a committed firefighter who continually sought to expand his training and knowledge. His accomplishments include earning an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from J. Sargent Reynolds and completing numerous certifications and specialized training throughout his career.

Throughout his service with the department, in addition to his daily responsibilities, Josh served on several committees and helped develop the specifications for multiple engines and the ladder truck. Josh has always been known in our department for his exceptional attention to detail, whether maintaining apparatus, caring for equipment, or supporting station maintenance.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Josh for his many years of dedicated service. We wish him the very best as he enters this next chapter of his life.

05/24/2026

The members of the Waynesboro First Aid Crew mourn the loss of a cherished member of our family. It is with deep regret and profound soundness to announce the loss of James Halbert “Jim” Duff, Sr., WFAC Life Member on Saturday, May 16, 2026, whose life was defined by service, dedication, and compassion. 💔

Jim devoted himself to helping others, both professionally and as a volunteer. After a successful career at DuPont in Waynesboro, he continued his commitment to care by serving as an Advanced Life Support provider with Augusta Health Transportation Services. Yet it was through his volunteer service with Waynesboro First Aid Crew, beginning in November 1973, that Jim made an especially lasting mark on our organization and community.

Over the years, Jim answered countless calls, often balancing volunteer duty with full-time work and family life. He advanced his emergency medical training from first aid and CPR to EMT, EMT-Shock Trauma Technician, and EMT-Intermediate—demonstrating both his drive for excellence and his deep sense of responsibility to those in need.

Jim’s contributions extended far beyond patient care. He served WFAC in leadership roles including President and Treasurer, worked on multiple committees, and represented the organization in competition, helping earn first-place honors at the Virginia Association of Rescue Squads annual convention. His many years of faithful service earned him life membership, but his true legacy lies in the respect, admiration, and gratitude of all who served beside him.

To many, Jim was more than a provider, he was a mentor, a leader, and a friend. He encouraged younger members, set a steady example, and treated others with kindness and humility. His influence reached far beyond our station walls and touched the broader EMS and public safety community throughout Waynesboro and beyond.

Jim will be remembered for his unwavering commitment to others, his quiet strength, and the generous spirit with which he served. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Betty, his children, and all who loved him.

There is no greater purpose than service to others. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Your legacy will endure in the lives you touched, and in the example, you set for all who follow. With heavy hearts, your friends and WFAC family say, “We will take it from here, Brother. Rest in peace.” 🚑❤️💙

The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at Waynesboro First Aid Crew, 201 West Broad Street, Waynesboro, VA. A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 29, 2026, at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 301 Sheppard Court, Waynesboro, VA.

Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory, 230 Frontier Drive in Staunton is in charge of his arrangements. A full obituary is available at https://www.coffmanfuneralhome.net/obituaries/james-duff-sr

05/22/2026

Thank you to Tiger Fuel Company for the sandwiches and water! We really appreciate it!!!

05/21/2026

Thank you to Dani’s Pizza for supplying our crew with dinner last night!!!! It was delicious!

05/20/2026

Thank you Plaza Antigua for supplying our crew members with dinner tonight for EMS Appreciation week! The food was delicious!

04/25/2026

Join us on Monday, May 4th at 7:00 PM (dinner at 6:30) for a presentation dealing specifically with the mental health and stress capacity of first responders...and may the 4th be with you.