The WVEMS Council’s Regional Medical Direction committee has continually updated the COVID-19 Protocol. Most recently, the TRAVEL element of the screening process has been eliminated from the guidance/reference document. You and your agencies should download/laminate and post this document in your EMS vehicles for quick reference. The protocol includes a link to a reference document which will be updated continually.  In the protocol, there is a QR code and a clickable link to the reference document. Please use the link to access this information rather than printing it, as it will be updated frequently.

The linked document is a live document that will change fluidly, so reference the link or QR code often.  WVEMS Council will make every attempt to send out push notifications of revisions to this live document. However, please understand that our Regional Medical Direction Committee physicians are updating this document directly, so notice of revisions may not reach Council staff immediately. Please check the link often! 

Also, please see the UPDATED document linked below that outlines our decontamination directive for drug boxes.  As we learn more about COVID-19, this document will likely be revised again. When you exchange a drug box at a hospital or FSED, you must complete a Drug Box Decontamination Procedure Form (see example below). In the event that the details of this document change, we will communicate the changes with you and make sure that you have the most up-to-date information. This directive applies to ALL drug box exchanges, not just those with possible infectious disease exposure.

A guidance document for law enforcement and fire service agencies is also listed below. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office or if you have specific protocol concerns or questions, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

LINK TO WVEMS EMERGENCY COVID-19 PROTOCOL  (wvems.org/COVID-19)

pdf LINK TO DRUG BOX DECONTAMINATION DIRECTIVE (30 KB)

LINK TO GUIDANCE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE SERVICE AGENCIES

  pdf DRUG BOX DECON PROCEDURE FORM (51 KB)

Due to the recent decisions of state-wide academic institutions and other region wide EMS certification programs to suspend operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the decision to suspend all in-person classroom education beginning next week through April 17, 2020. 

What this means as of right now for students in the NRV AEMT program and the Radford U-Carilion-WVEMS Paramedic program in Roanoke:

• All currently scheduled clinical rotations are CANCELLED.
• For course progression, students are still responsible for all scheduled online assignments and deadlines, so please plan to be proactive in completing this mandatory online work.  Failure to do so could still impact your grade in the program.
• This means we will may have to extend the courses and if so, reschedule the current testing dates with NREMT/OEMS.
• The faculty will diligently work on changing the course schedules to coincide with these unanticipated circumstances and have new schedules out by next week.
• The faculty is planning a concise review of missed material upon return to normal in-person classroom operations.
• We will keep you constantly informed of any ongoing changes to this plan, so please be cognizant in checking emails daily.

Continuing Education and Auxiliary Courses:

• All Council-sponsored continuing education classes and auxiliary courses are also suspended until further notice.

The nomination period for the 2019 WVEMS Regional EMS Awards and Scholarship is open! DEADLINE TO NOMINATE: May 15, 2020. Follow THIS LINK to begin the simple nomination process! It only takes a minute to start the process.  Recognize your heroes for these awards! Be sure to select the “Western Virginia EMS Council” as your region. Nominations will be accepted in the following categories: 

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• • CDC's Guidance for EMS Systems and 911 Public Safety Answering Points for COVID-19 in the US (updated continually)
    
    ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND INFORMATION:
    
    
  • Virginia’s Governor Declares State of Emergency
  • 2020 Virginia Public Health and Healthcare Preparedness Academy
• • Due to the rapidly evolving response to COVID-19, and impact on both our presenters and attendees, the Academy scheduled for March 23-24 has been POSTPONED. The Academy will return next year. 
  • VHHA: Hospital Facility Access Recommendations

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