Virginia Education Coordinator (EC) Institute Overview

The Virginia Education Coordinator (EC) Institute is designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to excel as leaders in EMS education within the Commonwealth. Throughout the Institute, participants explore the fundamental responsibilities of Education Coordinators, focusing on their essential role in facilitating initial training programs and continuing education (CE) for both BLS and ALS providers. The course content is tailored to provide a comprehensive understanding of Virginia’s administrative processes and regulatory requirements governing CE training and initial certification programs.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for attendance at an EC Institute, Education Coordinator Candidates (ECCs) must have all requirements completed—such as teaching hours, the NREMT cognitive exam, and mentorship—and documented in the candidate’s Virginia EMS Portal by the established deadline.

National Registry EMT Assessment Exam

ECCs currently in the process are encouraged to continue attempting the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) cognitive exam while progressing through mentorship. NREMT exam results are not received instantaneously by the Office of EMS; they may take up to 14 days to be transmitted by the National Registry and processed onto your account.

Please understand that the Office of EMS does not control this data feed, nor do we have the ability to look up your exam results or post them early.

Institute Scheduling and Selection

The Office of EMS offers three (3) EC Institutes per year, pending a sufficient number of eligible candidates to hold the event. Deadlines for ECCs to complete all requirements are associated with each Institute date.

To be considered eligible, an ECC must have all requirements met (e.g., teaching hours, NREMT cognitive exam, mentorship) by the listed deadline. Once the eligibility list is finalized, invitations will be sent to eligible candidates via email through Ticketleap.

The graphic below provides an overview of the three-phase EC Candidate process, from application through completion of the Institute.

Pre-Course Requirements

The EC Institute requires completion of online pre-course assignments delivered through Moodle prior to the face-to-face portion of the program. Pre-course work will be assigned once candidates have met eligibility, enrolled, and been accepted into the Institute.

Pre-course work must be completed by the deadlines established in Moodle. Failure to complete the required assignments—regardless of reason—will result in revocation of the candidate’s invitation. Dismissed participants will be required to reschedule for a future Institute.

Face-to-Face Institute Format

The in-person portion of the EC Institute consists of three days of instruction covering administrative topics specific to conducting EMS education in Virginia. Institutes are scheduled for three consecutive days, beginning promptly at 8:00 a.m. and concluding no later than 6:00 p.m. each day.

Participants should plan to arrive prior to the start of the program to allow time for registration.
Tardiness or absence will require make-up training at a subsequent Institute.

Required Equipment

Participants will be required to bring a laptop computer to the Institute. Chromebooks, iPads, tablets, and similar devices are not compatible with the OEMS CE Scanner software. A Windows or macOS laptop is required.

Candidates must also purchase or obtain their own barcode scanner for use during the Institute and for scanning CE completions after they are credentialed as Education Coordinators.  Barcode scanners must be capable of reading both Code 128 barcodes and QR codes.

Additional information and equipment specifications will be provided closer to each scheduled Institute.