Virginia EMS Blog

Public Safety and Public Health Leaders Collaborate on EMS and Fire Resource Availability and Improved Delivery of Care for Virginians

Leaders from both Public Safety and Public Health, including Virginia’s Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and Office of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Virginia Department of Fire Programs, as well as leadership from the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association, the Virginia State Firefighters Association, the State Board of Health and the State EMS Advisory Board, came together yesterday to discuss EMS and Fire Services in the Commonwealth.

Public Health and Public Safety are wound together in the delivery of EMS, and the group spent the afternoon discussing a path forward to improve care delivery and resource availability to citizens. Actions from this group include a commitment to improved working relationships and broadened communication amongst leadership at the state level in EMS and Fire Services.

Featured in Group Photo from Left to Right:

Nick Nanna, Deputy Director, Virginia Department of Fire Programs

Gary Critzer, Chair, State Board of Health

Sonny Daniels, Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security

Leah Mills, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources

Stephanie Dunkel, Deputy Commissioner for Population Health and Preparedness, Virginia Department of Health

Maria Beermann-Foat, PhD, Director, Virginia Office of EMS

Karen Shelton, MD, State Health Commissioner, Virginia Department of Health

Lanette Walker, Deputy Secretary and Chief Financial Officer of Health and Human Resources

Brian Frankel, Virginia Fire Chiefs Association representative to the State EMS Advisory Board

Janet Kelly, Secretary of Health and Human Resources

Christian Eudailey, Executive Director, Virginia Fire Chiefs Association

Walt Bailey, President, Virginia State Firefighters Association and Member, Virginia Fire Services Board and State EMS Advisory Board

Christopher Lindsay, Chief Operating Officer, Virginia Department of Health

Kevin Dillard, Chair, State EMS Advisory Board

J.C. Bolling, Vice-Chair, State EMS Advisory Board

During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 13-19, 2025, we recognize and honor the telecommunications personnel who serve their communities by answering 911 calls, non-emergency calls, dispatching units and assisting a caller until help arrives.

Emergency Telecommunicators serve as the first, first responder. This week-long event, initially set up in 1981 by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office in California, is a time to celebrate and thank those who dedicate their lives to serving the public.

The Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) maintains an accreditation program for 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) and emergency dispatch centers. This is to promote the implementation of emergency medical dispatch (EMD) protocols and continued training and education in this area.

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about the 911 Center Emergency Medical Dispatch Accreditation Program
• Letter from the Virginia Office of EMS Director

First Responder Wellness Week (FRWW) is dedicated to providing resources and support to help first responders better understand the mental and physical health risks that come with the job, while also promoting the mental, physical and emotional well-being of first responders.

During this special week, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services is offering a special FRWW webinar series. There are also more resources and information, available at: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/emergency-medical-services/first-responder-wellness-week/.

Blue Ridge EMS Council Welcomes its New Critical Incident Stress Management K-9, Billie, to Report for Duty 

(Campbell County, Va.) – The Blue Ridge EMS (BREMS) Council, a regional EMS Council under the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of EMS, is thrilled to welcome its newest team member Billie, a highly trained yellow Labrador Retriever who officially began her service as a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) K-9 on January 13, 2025, at Campbell County Public Safety. Billie will play a vital role in supporting the mental health and well-being of first responders in the region, which includes Appomattox, Amherst, Bedford, Campbell and the City of Lynchburg.

Read the news release.

_{Picture of CISM K-9 Billie. Photo provided by the BREMS Council.}

Blue Ridge EMS Council Welcomes its New Critical Incident Stress Management K-9, Billie, to Report for Duty