1. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation-Revised 2011 Board Member Orientation

2. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation To evaluate the needs of the EMS community and to provide the services necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality in southwest Virginia arising from emergent illness or traumatic injury through facilitation, coordination, and planning of a comprehensive EMS system.

3. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation To constantly elevate the quality of prehospital care and EMS response throughout southwest Virginia.

4. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Council was originally incorporated in 1979. The Council is celebrating its 30 th year of service to the EMS stakeholders in our region. The organization is designated by IRS as a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit organization and is designated by the Virginia Department of Health as a regional Emergency Medical Services Council.

5. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Council offers several programs to support the regional EMS system in line with its organizational mission and vision. Our service area includes the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe and the cities of Bristol, Galax, and Norton.

6. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The activities of the Council are overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Board of Directors consists of at least 31 members. 16 members are appointed by the local governments in our geographic service area. The other positions are allocated to various EMS stakeholder groups and at-large members chosen by the Board.

7. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Duties of Board members are defined by our Organizational By-laws. The Council makes all organizational documents easily accessible to our Board and members of the public. A current copy of our by-laws and other organizational documents can be obtained from this link: http://southwest.vaems.org/index.php?opt ion=com_content&view=article&id=66&Ite mid=49http://southwest.vaems.org/index.php?opt ion=com_content&view=article&id=66&Ite mid=49.

8. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Board elects officers at its yearly meeting in September. Officers include the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and one member living or working in each of our three planning districts. The regional OMD(s) also serves as an officer of the Council, along with the Governor’s EMS Advisory Board Representative from our Region.

9. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Board of Directors President, Chief Officer Executive Director Field Coordinators (Three total) Training/Testing Contractors Administrative Assistant

10. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Board of Directors holds regular quarterly meetings on the third Thursday of the third month of each quarter of the Council’s fiscal year (July 1-June 30). Meetings are held the third Thursday in September, December, March, and June. All Board meetings are public meetings and begin at 6:30 p.m. Other special called meetings are announced at least 14 days in advance.

11. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Council office is located at 306 Piedmont Avenue, Bristol, Virginia. Our phone number is (276) 628-4151. Our website address is www.southwest.vaems.org. www.southwest.vaems.org

12. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Staff members are: Executive Director—Gregory Woods— gwoods@vaems.org Administrative Assistant—LeAnn Atwell— latwell@vaems.org Field Coordinator—Bryan Kimberlin— bkimberlin@vaems.org Field Coordinator—Gary Whiteaker— gwhiteaker@vaems.org Field Coordinator—Sara Harrington— sharrington@vaems.org Program Support—Maggie Long—mlong@vaems.org

13. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation  Service Area 1—Bryan Kimberlin  Service Area 2—Sara Harrington  Service Area 3—Gary Whiteaker

14. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation A majority of Council funding is received through contract with the Virginia Department of Health Office of Emergency Medical Services. Funding for programs such as BLS Testing and EMS training also come through state funding sources. The Council receives some level of funding from each of the 16 political jurisdictions in our service area. Additional funding comes from charitable organizations, hospitals, foundations, and various program fees.

15. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Council’s services and work plan can be divided into two distinct classifications: 1.Contract Services— Specific work defined by our performance-based contract with the Office of Emergency Medical Services 2. Non-Contract Services — Services that have grown out of regional need that are not necessarily mandated by the Office of Emergency Medical Services, the Code of Virginia, or the EMS Rules and Regulations.

16. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Services that are a direct result of our contract with the Office of Emergency Medical Services include:  Regional Infrastructure  Regional Medical Direction  Regional Planning  Regional Coordination  BLS Test Site Administration  Category-1 CE Program

17. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Services that have grown out of regional need and are not part of our contract with OEMS include:  EMS Lending Library  Regional EMS Training Program  Fund Management for the Southwest Virginia Paramedic Program  ALS Testing Program Administration  AHA Training Site

18. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Office of Emergency Medical Services is part of the Virginia Department of Health. Its mission is to “reduce death and disability resulting from sudden or serious injury and illness in the Commonwealth through planning and development of a comprehensive, coordinated statewide emergency medical services (EMS) system; and provision of other technical assistance and support to enable the EMS community to provide the highest quality emergency medical care possible to those in need.”

19. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation OEMS has several divisions with which the Council routinely interacts:  Emergency Operations  Regulations & Compliance  Grant Programs  Public Information & Education  Education, Training, and Certification  Technical Assistance  Trauma/Critical Care

20. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Primary responsibility/programs include:  Regulations (32.1-111.4 Code of Virginia)  Inspections (Routine & Spot)  Complaint Investigations  Variances and Exemptions  Americans with Disabilities Act  Freedom of Information Act

21. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Financial Assistance for Emergency Medical Services Grants Program, known as the Rescue Squad Assistance Fund (RSAF) Grant Program, is a multi-million dollar grant program for Virginia non- profit EMS agencies and organizations. Items eligible for funding include EMS equipment and vehicles, computers, EMS management programs, courses/classes and projects benefiting the recruitment and retention of EMS members.

22. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Grant applications must be submitted electronically by March 15 and September 15 of each year for consideration for funding. Council staff assist EMS agencies on request with completing and submitting RSAF grants. In addition, the Council facilitates regional grant review sessions, makes funding recommendations to OEMS, and advocates for regional grant requests at state grant review meetings.

23. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Oversees all EMS training functions in the state including:  Web-Based Continuing Education  TRAIN Virginia Online CE  BLS Training  ALS Training  EMS Training Site Accreditation  EMSAT - Web Based Training  Instructor Credentialing

24. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Oversees programs related to Emergency Planning and Preparedness including:  CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management)  Communications  Emergency Response (HMERT and DMAT)  Planning and Preparation  Training

25. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Division of Trauma/Critical Care oversees several related programs:  Trauma System Program  Stroke System Program  STEMI System Proposed Program  Informatics Program  EMS for Children (EMSC) Program  Durable Do Not Resuscitate (DDNR) Program

26. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Council can provide other types of assistance to EMS agencies, localities, and providers as is needed to support local and regional EMS. Our staff has a wide range of professional experience and knowledge. We consider the Council as an assistance resources for any EMS related issue in the region, and we tailor services to meet those unique requests.

27. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation As part of our designation, the Council developed a three-year budget that was approved by the Board of Directors. A copy of that budget is available for review upon request to the Executive Director. Annual modifications may be made to reflect changes in the operational needs of the organization.

28. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Yearly audits are conducted by a Certified Public Accountant. Financial statements, along with an Annual Report, are completed by staff and submitted for approval to the Board of Directors. Current financial documents are available from the Council’s website: http://southwest.vaems.org/index.ph p?option=com_content&view=article&i d=66&Itemid=49. http://southwest.vaems.org/index.ph p?option=com_content&view=article&i d=66&Itemid=49

29. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Council posts all approved meeting minutes of the Board of Directors and related committees on our website. To access these documents, please follow this link: http://southwest.vaems.org/index.ph p?option=com_docman&Itemid=58 http://southwest.vaems.org/index.ph p?option=com_docman&Itemid=58

30. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation Other information related specifically to the Board of Directors is available through a designated section of our website. To access the Board of Directors section of our website, please click on the following link: http://southwest.vaems.org/index.php ?option=com_content&view=article&id =67&Itemid=59

31. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation The Council is a regional entity supporting the regional EMS system through facilitation, coordination, and planning of various components of the EMS system. As a member of our Board of Directors, you have direct impact on the provision of prehospital care in our region.

32. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Board of Directors Orientation If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Executive Director Gregory Woods or Board President, Lonny Gay. Thank you in advance for your service to our region and our lifesaving mission.