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The nomination period for the 2025 WVEMS Regional EMS Awards and Scholarship is open! DEADLINE TO NOMINATE: December 12, 2025. Recognize your heroes for these awards! Click on each award for the nomation form! Please send completed forms to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Nominations will be accepted in the following categories: 

 REGIONAL EMS AWARDS

 

SUMMERLIN AWARD FOR SERVICE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Special Regional Award: Once again, you have the opportunity to nominate someone for the Regional "WVEMS Benny Summerlin Award for Service to Local Government" This special award honors Benny Summerlin, a public servant who dedicated 40 years of his life to service in EMS. Benny passed away in 2012.

Every agency in the WVEMS region, every hospital, and the WVEMS Council have entered into an agreement whereby the hospitals offer a ONE-FOR-ONE exchange of supply items specifically listed on the Standard List of Restocked Items. Please be aware that the listed items are the ONLY supply items that you are permitted to exchange at any hospital within our region per the agreement, and the exchange is limited to ONE per patient. For example, if you use two EZ-IO needles on a patient due to a failed attempt, you are entitled to ONE exchange needle. Not two. For other items such as IV catheters, you may exchange one-for-one for each one actually used on the patient. 

Abuse of the ONE-FOR-ONE exchange jeopardizes our entire exchange process and could result in loss of all exchange privileges. Abuses of the exchange program will be reported to the provider's OMD and agency officials to be dealt with accordingly.


Please watch for more information regarding the exchange process for specific hospitals. Remember that this supply exchange program is a benefit provided through the generosity of our hospitals and it can be rescinded at any time.

The WVEMS Council recently received a Rescue Squad Assistance Fund grant from the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services for the purchase of i-gel® Resus Pack airways for the region. This grant is to assist in the conversion specified by the WVEMS Regional Medical Direction Committee in our most recent protocols. Your field coordinators have begun delivering the i-gel devices to the agencies for future implementation. 

All EMS agencies will receive one set of i-gel Resus Packs in sizes 3, 4 and 5 for each licensed EMS vehicle.  Once your agency has received the i-gels, your Operational Medical Director will determine when to implement them. 

All hospitals in our region have been contacted about i-gel implementation and exchange and they are working with their supply chains to ensure that you are able to exchange “i-gel for i-gel.”  While we are working to streamline this process, we appreciate your understanding if the hospital that you transport to does not have an i-gel for exchange, you may receive a King Airway instead of an i-gel until stock is depleted. Please note that the i-gel, like the King airways, will be available for a ONE-FOR-ONE exchange. 

We are currently working with Intersurgical (i-gel manufacturer) to have a live training session in each planning district.  We will keep you posted on the dates.  Below, you will find a video from Intersurgical with information and direction for placement of the i-gel Resus Pack.

i-gel® Placement Video

COVID 19 Protocol Image

WVEMS COVID-19 Protocols and Guidance Updated

The WVEMS Council’s Regional Medical Direction committee has continually updated the COVID-19 Protocol. A simplified version was recently posted.  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 attached document that outlines our UPDATED decontamination policy for drug boxes (sample attached).  When you exchange a drug box at a hospital or FSED, you must complete a Drug Box Decontamination Procedure Form. As we learn more about COVID-19, this document will  be revised again.  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. 

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)

pdf DRUG BOX DECON PROCEDURE FORM(51 KB)

Some hospital pharmacies within the WVEMS region are currently experiencing a shortage of Lidocaine pre-filled syringes. As a substitute, pharmacies will provide a 100mg/5ml vial of Lidocaine during the shortage. Boxes will be appropriately marked.

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