Southwest Virginia Ems Council Inc

06/15/2026

🚨 Calling All First Responders Who Love to Fish! 🎣 🚨

We are exploring the possibility of organizing a First Responder Fishing Tournament Series to help raise funds for the establishment of a Regional Honor Guard Unit.

The proposed series would consist of four tournaments held on:

✅ South Holston Lake
✅ Boone Lake
✅ Cherokee Lake
✅ Norris Lake

Tournament Details:

* Entry Fee: $100 per boat

* Each boat must include at least one active or retired first responder

* Proposed tournament time: Tuesday evenings from 6:00 PM until 11:00 PM

* Launch locations:
* Observation K**b
(South Holston)

* Boone Dam
(Boone Lake)

* Church House Point
(Cherokee Lake)

* Highway 33 Boat Ramp, Claiborne County
( Norris Lake)

Payout Structure:

* 50% payout to tournament winners top 3 boats

* Big Fish payout at each event

* Bonus payout for the overall series champion among teams that fish all four tournaments with the same boat crew

With many tournaments already taking place on Thursday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays, we are considering Tuesday nights to avoid conflicts and provide another opportunity for anglers to compete.

Before moving forward, we’d like to gauge interest from the first responder community. If this is something you would participate in, please comment below and let us know. If we have enough interest, we’ll make it happen!

Please feel free to share this post with fellow first responders and fishing enthusiasts.

06/13/2026

06/13/2026

Dear EMS Agency Leaders, EMS Providers, Local Government Officials, and Healthcare Partners,

This is a friendly reminder that the Virginia Department of Health Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) and the Southwest Virginia EMS Council invite you to participate in one of the upcoming EMS Region 1 Town Hall Meetings.

These meetings provide an important opportunity to hear directly from OEMS leadership, receive updates on regional EMS initiatives, ask questions, and share your perspectives on the future of EMS in Southwest Virginia.

Why Attend?


Hear firsthand information from senior leadership at the Virginia Office of EMS

Receive updates from EMS Council staff

Participate in a live Question & Answer session

Share concerns, challenges, and opportunities affecting your agency, locality, and community


Meeting Options

Option 1 – Virtual & In-Person

Wednesday, June 17
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Virginia Higher Education Center

Join Virtually via Google Meet:
Meeting Link: https://meet.google.com/iib-ifxz-weg
Dial-In: (US) +1 732-588-8968
PIN: 403 090 759 #

Option 2 – In-Person

Thursday, June 18
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Norton Rescue Squad

Intended Audience


EMS Agency Leadership

EMS Providers

Local Government Leaders

Healthcare Facility Leaders

Emergency Management and Public Safety Partners


This is an excellent opportunity to ensure that the voices of our region are heard not only at the regional level, but also at the state level. Your participation helps shape the future of EMS services throughout Southwest Virginia.

Submit Questions in Advance

To help maximize discussion time during the meetings, attendees are encouraged to submit questions beforehand.

Please email your questions to: [email protected]
Subject Line: Town Hall Question

We hope you will join us and help strengthen EMS across Region 1.

Stronger Together. Better EMS for Our Communities.

Sincerely,

Bryan Kimberlin
Executive Director
Southwest Virginia EMS Council
[email protected]

06/13/2026

Southwest Virginia EMS Council VDH/EMS Region 1 in partnership with the Appalachian Memory & Aging Initiative and Virginia Geriatric Education Center presenting Integrated Dementia Response for First Responders at the Virginia Higher Education Center.


06/08/2026

There are still spots open for this excellent training opportunity.

🚨 Training Reminder for First Responders & Healthcare Professionals! 🚨

Don’t miss this outstanding educational opportunity!

Integrated Dementia Response for First Responders is coming up on June 13, 2026, at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, VA. This FREE training is designed to help first responders and healthcare professionals better understand, recognize, and respond to individuals living with dementia.

✅ 6 Hours of Continuing Education for EMS & Law Enforcement
✅ Open to EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Healthcare Professionals, Mental Health Clinicians, and 911 Communication Specialists
✅ Learn from expert presenters on dementia care, medication safety, elder abuse recognition, community resources, and more
✅ Valuable knowledge that can improve patient outcomes and support families in our communities

There are still several spots available, but seats are limited! If you’ve been considering attending, now is the time to register. This is an important class that will provide practical skills and insights that every healthcare provider and first responder can use in the field.

📅 June 13, 2026
🕘 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Abingdon, VA
💲 FREE Registration

Register today using the QR code on the flyer and help us spread the word by sharing this post with your colleagues and partner agencies.

06/04/2026

🚨 Training Reminder for First Responders & Healthcare Professionals! 🚨

Don’t miss this outstanding educational opportunity!

Integrated Dementia Response for First Responders is coming up on June 13, 2026, at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, VA. This FREE training is designed to help first responders and healthcare professionals better understand, recognize, and respond to individuals living with dementia.

✅ 6 Hours of Continuing Education for EMS & Law Enforcement
✅ Open to EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Healthcare Professionals, Mental Health Clinicians, and 911 Communication Specialists
✅ Learn from expert presenters on dementia care, medication safety, elder abuse recognition, community resources, and more
✅ Valuable knowledge that can improve patient outcomes and support families in our communities

There are still several spots available, but seats are limited! If you’ve been considering attending, now is the time to register. This is an important class that will provide practical skills and insights that every healthcare provider and first responder can use in the field.

📅 June 13, 2026
🕘 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Abingdon, VA
💲 FREE Registration

Register today using the QR code on the flyer and help us spread the word by sharing this post with your colleagues and partner agencies.

06/03/2026

This will be a great opportunity to discuss what’s happening not only in our region but across the state.

Please not that the email that was sent has the wrong day of the week on them. These Town Hall sessions will be held on Wednesday June 17, and Thursday June 18.

05/30/2026

🚑🇺🇸 National EMS Memorial Service Moving Honors Coming Through Southwest Virginia – June 25, 2026 🇺🇸🚑

The Southwest Virginia EMS Council is honored to share that the National EMS Memorial Service Moving Honors Procession will travel from Coal Grove, Ohio, to Johnson City, Tennessee, on Thursday, June 25, 2026, passing through Southwest Virginia along US Highway 23.

The procession will travel through:

📍 Virginia/Kentucky State Line
📍 Town of Wise
📍 City of Norton
📍 Big Stone Gap
📍 Duffield
📍 Gate City
📍 Weber City

As the Moving Honors team makes its way to Johnson City, we encourage EMS agencies, fire departments, law enforcement, public safety personnel, and community members along the route to begin making plans to show their support and pay tribute to the EMS and air medical professionals being honored.

Additional details, including anticipated arrival times at each location, will be released as they become available. Information will be provided for expected times at the Virginia/Kentucky state line, Wise, Norton, Big Stone Gap, Duffield, Gate City, and Weber City.

This is a meaningful opportunity for our region to stand together in remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to others. We encourage agencies to coordinate apparatus displays, flag presentations, personnel lineups, and community participation along the route.

Please mark your calendars and help us honor our fallen EMS heroes.

The National EMS Memorial Service Moving Honors will begin its journey on Monday, June 1, at 0900 PDT in Redding, CA with REACH Air Medical. The ceremony will be held at the Shield Training Center located at 4300 Caterpillar Rd.

From Redding, the Moving Honors procession will travel to Reno, NV for a ceremony at the Lazy 5 Regional Park, 7100 Pyramid Way Sparks, NV at 3:00 pm PDT.

The following day, June 2, the team will be in Elko, NV for a ceremony at 4:00 pm PDT at the Elko Airport, 975 Terminal Way.

The NEMSMS Moving Honors will be on the road through the month of June, allowing those families, friends, colleagues and the public to have the chance to pay their respects to the 37 EMS and air medical honorees for 2026. We hope that those who are able to, will join the team to show those who have been left behind that the sacrifice their loved ones made will always be remembered.

For those agencies who attend and host the ceremonies along with those who line the roads and overpasses, please do not forget to send your photos and video clips to [email protected] so they can be considered for inclusion in the Moving Honors video that will be shown at the NEMSMS in Arlington, VA on 18 July.

Thank you all for your time and efforts in honoring our fallen.

05/30/2026

William started his service to others at the age of 15 years old volunteering with Norton Rescue Squad where he served in many roles over the years to include educator captain and more importantly mentor to so many. He also served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Southwest Virginia EMS Council as the City of Norton’s representation. There will truly never be another like him. William will be missed by so many.

View William Joseph Mays's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.