Virginia EMS Blog

Changes to Virginia’s Recertification Requirements

Posted on by chadblosser

Welcome! As of October 1, 2023, Virginia officially implemented the new National Continued Competency Program (NCCP) model from the National Registry of EMTs across all certification levels. While following the overall National Registry NCCP framework, Virginia’s adopted plan is customized for the needs of the Commonwealth.  Here’s a 30-second snapshot of what you need to know about this transition.

Hours Requirements

The image below shows the 2016-2025 Virginia Recertification Requirements by level.  Please note your CE requirements are tied to the date of your last Virginia recertification cycle–the date to keep in mind is October 1, 2023.  Please see the chart below–clicking on the image will begin a download of the PDF version of the form.

If you recertified in Virginia before October 1, 2023:

If you recertified in Virginia on or after October 1, 2023:

  • No earned CE will be lost or removed from your report in the transition.
  • The CE earned and currently on your Virginia CE Report–from October 1, 2023 forward–will be retroactively transitioned to the new 2025 Virginia Recertification Requirements. 
  • The retroactive reprocessing of your CE to the new 2025 requirements may possibly change the number of hours you have in a specific area based on the new requirements.
    • Please review your Virginia CE Report to identify any areas that may be affected and require additional CE to be earned in order to be eligible for recertification in Virginia and with the National Registry, if you are Registry certified.
  • If you are eligible for recertification in Virginia on June 17th, your eligibility will not be lost even if your CE report reflects additional hours are needed in any area. You will not be required to complete these additional CE based on this change in CE requirements to satisfy your Virginia recertification.

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us by clicking here and using this form.

BLS & ALS Recertification Requirements

Governor’s EMS Awards presented during EMS Week

Posted on by marianhunter

Read the latest update from the Virginia Office of EMS regarding the presentation of the 2023 Governor’s EMS Awards during EMS Week at the Governor’s Mansion.

On Monday, May 20, Governor Glenn Youngkin recognized the Governor’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Award recipients from 2023 during a special EMS Week ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion. The Governor’s EMS Awards honor the outstanding contributions of individuals, agencies, community organizations and businesses that provide or help support emergency medical care in Virginia. These awards are the highest honor an EMS provider or organization can receive at the state level, and they are administered by the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) Office of Emergency Medical Services.  

EMS Week 2024

Posted on by marianhunter

Virginians rely on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel to respond to the call for help and to provide quality prehospital care during their greatest time of need. National EMS Week is May 19-25, 2024. EMS for Children Day, May 22, focuses on the pediatric patient and the specialized care required when providing treatment to them.

EMS Week recognizes the dedication of 38,721 EMS providers and 552 agencies in Virginia. Last year, EMS providers responded to more than 1.72 million calls for help in Virginia, which represents approximately 4,712 incidents per day.

Learn more about EMS Week in Virginia, at: EMS Week 2024 – Emergency Medical Services (virginia.gov)

Drug Kit Regulations Reminder

Posted on by marianhunter

April 19, 2024

The Virginia Department of Health’s Office of EMS (OEMS) is continuing to keep Agencies, Councils and EMS providers informed on the current conversation regarding the future of the hospital-based Drug Kit Exchange program in Virginia.

As we have shared in a previous memo on April 2, 2024, federal regulatory changes will require the existing Virginia EMS agency drug hospital kit exchange program to change as early as November 27, 2024. OEMS has been actively working to advocate for Virginia’s EMS providers and agencies throughout the current discussion on the state’s drug kit exchange program. Please see a new update from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) and Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacist (VSHP) on the EMS Drug Kit Transition Plan.

OEMS would like to remind all E­MS stakeholders that the draft amendments to the EMS-related drug kit exchange regulations is quickly approaching. A Virginia Board of Pharmacy (BoP) meeting is scheduled for May 2, 2024 when the Board will review the proposed draft emergency drug kit exchange regulations. As such, it is important that any comments to the draft emergency BoP regulations are submitted no later than close of business on April 29, 2024. Additionally, if your agency has any questions, please email the BoP at pharmbd@dhp.virginia.gov no later than April 29, 2024.

OEMS understands that the enforcement of the updated Federal regulation presents challenges for EMS agencies in the Commonwealth. OEMS strongly encourages EMS agencies to work with each other, their Regional EMS Councils, and healthcare coalitions, as well as reach out to OEMS for technical assistance. We will continue to work closely with the Regional EMS Councils to make sure everyone has the latest information and updates.

As more information becomes available, OEMS will post regular updates regarding the Virginia Drug Kit Exchange program, at: www.vdh.virginia.gov/emergency-medical-services/other-ems-programs-and-links/virginia-ems-drug-box-exchange-program-updates/.

EMD Accreditation

Posted on by marianhunter

Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Accreditation

Picture of OEMS PSAP Specialist Amber Moore presenting Emergency Communications Manager Crystal Barton and Emergency Communications Supervisor Ethan Whaley with their OEMS EMD Accreditation certificate for Farmville
Featured in photo from left to right: OEMS PSAP Specialist Amber Moore presents Emergency Communications Manager Crystal Barton and Emergency Communications Supervisor Ethan Whaley with their OEMS EMD Accreditation certificate for Farmville Emergency Communications Center.

The road to Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) implementation is an adventure. The Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) has taken EMD implementation one step further with the EMD Accreditation program. This voluntary program was created to provide Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP), also known as 9-1-1 centers, the opportunity to exhibit to their community and stakeholders that they meet and exceed training and performance standards. Before a PSAP can apply for accreditation, they must meet the minimum guidelines. These guidelines include minimum staffing, training and Quality Assurance scores. Additionally, the PSAP must have EMS Physician oversight and commit to submitting an annual report to OEMS.

To begin the accreditation process, the PSAP must complete an application and provide the required Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines and other reports and obtain a letter of endorsement from their EMS Physician. As of April 2024, there are 28 PSAPs that are OEMS EMD Accredited in the Commonwealth.

On January 10, 2024, Amber Moore and Kari Magner, staff members of the Division of Emergency Operations, traveled to Farmville, Virginia for a Town Council meeting. Farmville Emergency Communications Center (ECC) recently became accredited in November 2023. This meeting provided Amber the opportunity to share directly with council members information on EMD, training, implementation and the accreditation process.

Providing EMD services in the PSAP allows for trained call-takers to obtain pertinent information, prioritize resources and their response level, and give pre-arrival instructions when appropriate. These key abilities are critical when callers face life threatening illness or injury. The Farmville Town Council members were elated to hear that their PSAP had taken the necessary steps to maintain their EMD program and qualified for OEMS EMD Accreditation.

Emergency Communications Manager Crystal Barton and Emergency Communications Supervisor Ethan Whaley were presented with the OEMS EMD Accreditation certificate for their agency. OEMS was happy to share in the recognition of their dedication and commitment to serving their community.

For more information about the OEMS EMD Accreditation program, click here or reach out to Amber Moore, PSAP specialist at: Amber.Moore@vdh.virginia.gov or 804-888-9126.