Virginia Association of First Responders

Board of Governors Briefing

Spring Meeting – March 2026 | Charlottesville, Virginia

The VAFR Spring Board of Governors Meeting included updates on membership growth, statewide EMS initiatives, training expansion, governance changes, and upcoming events. Below is a streamlined summary of key highlights for members.

Membership & Engagement

Jeff Grim / Ken Williams

• “Pick 5 / Meet 5” initiative driving outreach to non-member agencies
• Approximately 20 new agencies joined since January
• 40 agencies represented and 64 voting members at Spring BOG
• Administrative Support Specialist position being filled

State & OEMS Updates

Wayne Perry, Deputy Director – Virginia Office of EMS

• 1.74 million EMS calls in 2024
• 4,000+ calls daily across 548 agencies and 39,000 providers
• Digital certification cards implemented January 2026
• New OEMS support ticketing system launched
• $950M rural health initiative over five years

Training & Education

Chris Craft, State Training Officer

• LMS development underway for hybrid and online training
• Advanced Farm Machinery Program debuting at Symposium
• Heavy Tactical Rescue (HTR) program in development (2027)
• Aviation Response Program debuting at Convention

Events & Key Dates

Communications

Gary Dalton / Wesley Melson

• New VAFR website launched
• PR partnership established for expanded outreach
• Post-Board communications implemented
• 12 newsletters distributed since Convention
• Major marketing materials developed

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