PURPOSE OF THE STATE EMS ADVISORY BOARD
The purpose of the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board is to advise the State Board of Health concerning the administration of the statewide emergency medical care system and emergency medical services vehicles maintained and operated to provide transportation to persons requiring emergency medical treatment, and reviewing and making recommendations on the Statewide Emergency Medical Services.
Advisory Board
Board Members
Advisory Board Members
This roster provides the current membership of the State EMS Advisory Board. Where available, links are provided to the organizations the board members represent.| Organization Represented | Name | Advisory Board Committee(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Society of Virginia link | VACANT | |
| Member of General Public | Rebecca Branch Griffin | |
| OEMS Region 1 Representative | Theresa Diane Kingsley-Varble | Rules and Regulations |
| OEMS Region 2 Representative | Marion Rickman | |
| OEMS Region 3 Representative | Vacant | |
| OEMS Region 4 Representative | John Morgan | |
| OEMS Region 5 Representative | Joseph Adam Williams | Emergency Management (Chair) |
| OEMS Region 6 Representative | Lisa Baber | |
| OEMS Region 7 Representative | James Reynolds | Trauma Administration and Governance Committee (Chair) |
| Virginia Ambulance Association link | Steve Higgins | |
| Virginia Association of Counties link | Melissa Meador | Training and Certification Committee (Chair) |
| Virginia Association of First Responders link (formerly VAVRS) | Kim Craig | Rules and Regulations (Chair) |
| Virginia Association of First Responders link (formerly VAVRS) | Bruce Stratton | |
| Virginia Association of Governmental EMS Administrators link | Jason Stroud | |
| Virginia Association of Public Safety Communications Officials link | Madison Blaska | Emergency Management Committee |
| Virginia Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics link | Patrick McLaughlin | |
| Virginia Chapter - American College of Surgeons link | Paula Ferrada, MD (Advisory Board Chair) | Executive Committee |
| Virginia Chapter of International Association of Fire Fighters link | David Hupp | |
| Virginia College of Emergency Physicians link | Joseph Lang | Medical Direction Committee (Chair) |
| Virginia Fire Chiefs Association link | Brian Frankel | EMS Workforce Resilience (Chair) |
| Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association link | Beth Matish (Advisory Board Vice-Chair) | Executive Committee |
| Virginia Municipal League link | Ernest Rush | |
| Virginia State Council Emergency Nurses Association link | VACANT | |
| Virginia State Firefighters Association link | Walter Bailey |
2026 Advisory Board Meeting Schedule
2026 Meeting Dates
State EMS Advisory Board Meeting
February 6, 2026, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Public Safety Training Center (PSTC)
7093 Broad Neck Road
Hanover, Virginia 23069
State EMS Advisory Board Meeting
May 1, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
Public Safety Training Center (PSTC)
7093 Broad Neck Road
Hanover, Virginia 23069
State EMS Advisory Board Meeting
August 7, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
Public Safety Training Center (PSTC)
7093 Broad Neck Road
Hanover, Virginia 23069
State EMS Advisory Board Meeting
November 6, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
Public Safety Training Center (PSTC)
7093 Broad Neck Road
Hanover, Virginia 23069
Advisory Board Documents
Advisory Board Bylaws State EMS Advisory Board
All Virtual Public Meeting Policy State EMS Advisory Board
Remote Participation of Board or Committee Members State EMS Advisory Board
Advisory Board Code of Ethics State EMS Advisory Board
Electronic Meeting Guide Virginia FOIA Council
**The Virginia Office of EMS will no longer post agendas and minutes for the EMS Advisory Board or its committees.**
Minutes and agendas can be located on Virginia Town Hall.
Advisory Board Committees
ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEES
The Rules and Regulation Committee is charged with ensuring the system’s regulations are reflective of the needs and operation of EMS agencies and to aid in ensuring there is high quality service delivery within the Commonwealth. This is accomplished by environmental monitoring and collecting input related to the Rules and Regulations. The Committee will also be responsible for developing regulations because of new or revised legislation and/or Code changes at the Federal and State level.
Meeting Schedule
Rules and Regulations Committee Meeting
August 6, 2026 9:15 am – 10:00 am
Public Safety Training Center (PSTC)
7093 Broad Neck Road
Hanover, Virginia 23069
OEMS Staff Liaison
Ron Passmore
| Committee Position | Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | Kim Craig | Virginia Association of First Responders |
| Vice-Chair | Beth Adams | VACO/VML |
| Member | Cody Jackson | Member-at-Large |
| Member | Theresa Kingsley-Varble | Member-at-Large |
| Member | David Hupp | Va Professional Firefighters (VPFF) |
| Member | Janet Blankenship | VA Association of Governmental EMS Administrators (VAGEMSA) |
| Member | Karen Owens | Regional EMS Council Representative |
| Member | Steve Higgins | VA Ambulance Association(VAA) |
| Member | Jason Stroud | Member At Large |
| Member | Drew DeHaven | VA Fire Chief’s Association (VFCA) |
The Emergency Management Committee, through the Advisory Board, shall focus on providing recommendations and guidance for EMS agencies in Virginia to enhance and assist in their development and incorporation of strategies for approaching the four phases of emergency management and using those phases to best prepare and respond as an EMS agency. The committee will also assist the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services in the development and revision of Emergency Management Training Programs that focus on the pre- hospital area of EMS and emergency management.
Meeting Schedule
Emergency Management Committee
August 6, 2026 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Public Safety Training Center (PSTC)
7093 Broad Neck Road
Hanover, Virginia 23069
OEMS Staff Liaison
Sam Burnette
Membership Under Review and Update
The EMS Workforce Resilience Committee reviews, develops, and recommends recruitment, retention, leadership and management programs and services designed to help EMS agencies maintain and increase their human resources to deliver prompt, high quality emergency medical care while meeting the emergency medical services demands and expectations of the communities they serve. The EMS Workforce Resilience Committee will recommend policies and practices for the development of EMS provider health and safety programs, including physical and mental health and wellness, peer support, and critical incident stress management (CISM).
Meeting Schedule
EMS Workforce Resilience Committee
August 6, 2026 12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
Public Safety Training Center (PSTC)
7093 Broad Neck Road
Hanover, Virginia 23069
OEMS Staff Liaison
Kari Magner
| Position | Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | Brian Frankel | Virginia Fire Chiefs Association |
| Vice Chair | Matt Rickman | Member-at-Large |
| Member | Steven Powell | Virginia Association of Governmental EMS Administrator |
| Member | Cody Jackson | Commercial Ambulance Association |
| Member | Bruce Stratton | Virginia Association of First Responders |
| Member | John Bianco | Member-at-Large |
| Member | Christina Smith | Virginia Association of Counties |
| Member | Heather Campbell | Member-at-Large |
| Member | Christopher Vernovai | Regional Councils Representatives |
| Member | David Hupp | Virginia Professional Firefighters Association |
| Member | Derek Fuller | Recruitment and Retention |
PATIENT CARE COMMITTEES
The Medical Direction Committee will review and recommend guidelines and/or standards to assist EMS agencies, providers, and physicians with medical procedures. It shall provide guidance to the EMS system with medical oversight, specifically in the areas of protocols, on-line medical direction, system audits, quality improvement and the improvement of patient care.
Meeting Schedule
Medical Direction Committee
August 9, 2026 10:30 am
Old Dominion EMS Alliance
7818 East Parham Road
Suite 911
Henrico, VA 23494
OEMS Staff Liaison
Daniel Linkins
Membership Under Review and Update
The Training and Certification Committee will, in collaboration with the Medical Direction Committee and other stakeholders, promote quality educational, operational, and other affiliated aspects related to the enhancement of the EMS profession across the Commonwealth. The committee will review and recommend changes to policies and regulations affecting the training and certification of pre-hospital providers, including procedures and guidelines for each level of certification and standardized education and testing curricula; training and continuing education requirements and improvements; monitoring of EMS training programs; Quality Assurance, Quality Improvement, and Accreditation of EMS Educational Programs.
Meeting Schedule
Training and Certification
August 8, 2026 10:30 am
Old Dominion EMS Alliance
7818 East Parham Road
Suite 911
Henrico, VA 23494
OEMS Staff Liaison
Daniel Linkins
Membership under Review
TRAUMA SYSTEM COMMITTEES
Utilizing a public health approach, the Trauma Administrative and Governance Committee will maintain an inclusive system that ensures that when the severity and incidence of trauma cannot be decreased, all injured persons within the Commonwealth have rapid access to optimal, equitable, efficient specialized trauma care to prevent further disability. The EMS Advisory Board’s Trauma System Coordinator will serve as chair of the Trauma Administrative and Governance Committee.
Meeting Schedule
Trauma Administrative and Governance Committee
August 6, 2026 2:00 pm
Public Safety Training Center, Hanover County
7093 Broad Neck Road
Hanover, Virginia 23069
OEMS Staff Liaison
Ashley Camper
| Committee Position | Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | James Reynolds | Chesapeake Fire |
| Vice Chair | Dr. Stefan Leichtie | ACOT |
| VHHA | Scott Cormier | |
| Legislative | Dr. Jessica Burgess | Sentara |
| Pediatrics | Dr. Jeffrey Haynes | VCU Medical Center |
| ACEP | Dr. Lauren Webb | Southside Regional Medical Center |
| TPM | Tanya Trevillian | Carilion Roanoke |
| System Improvement | Dr. Stephen Varga | INOVA Fairfax |
| Injury and Violence Prevention | Linda Watkins | VCU Medical Center |
| Acute Care | Dr. Terral Goode | Winchester Medical Center |
| Post-Acute Care | Beth Broering | VCU Medical Center |
| Pre-Hospital Care | Michael Watkins | Goochland Fire |
| Emergency Preparedness and Response | Kelley Rumsey | Southside Medical Center |
Reach Out to the EMS Advisory Board
Please use this form to contact the Chair of the State EMS Advisory Board, the Chair of any Standing Committee, or the OEMS Regional Representative to the EMS Advisory Board.
Click here if you need to determine your designated OEMS Region.