Nominations are now being accepted for the 2023 Regional EMS Awards!
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Recognition Awards 2023
"To honor outstanding achievement in emergency medical services."
The Southwest Virginia Emergency Medical Services Council, Inc. requests nominations for the annual regional EMS recognition awards program.
About the Awards
The purpose of the regional EMS awards program is to provide special recognition for outstanding contributions to the local, regional or statewide EMS system. Eleven categories, plus an additional high school scholarship award, recognize EMS field providers, EMS instructors, EMS agencies, EMS agency administrators, public safety communications officers, emergency nurses, operational medical directors, contributions by those not affiliated with pre-hospital EMS services and overall excellence in EMS.
Nominations
Any person may submit a nomination for any award(s). The person making the nomination should have knowledge of the nominee's qualifications for the specific award category. A nominee's actions need not be extraordinary…consistent and high quality work on a daily basis is often deserving of special recognition. Many local EMS agencies provide annual awards, and agency leaders should nominate those individuals for regional awards. The nominee must have current licensure or certification in the category in which he or she has been nominated. Nominations should be made using the online forms posted on the SWEMS website. Nominators will be requested to help obtain up to three support documents (such as resume, letters of support, news articles or other supporting documents). At least one letter of support is required from someone other than the person placing the nomination.
You may submit nominations at anytime throughout the year. However, Nominations must be received at the Southwest Virginia EMS Council office by the posted due date for the annual awards cycle. For more information, contact the Southwest Virginia EMS Council, (276) 628-4151 or .
Selection Process
An awards selection committee appointed by the Southwest Virginia EMS Council’s Board of Directors will select award recipients. Members of the awards committee are not eligible to receive an award. The Criteria and Eligibility information will be used to evaluate nominations for each of the award categories. Persons submitting nominations are urged to consider these criteria. The selection committee or staff may correspond directly with nominees in order to obtain additional eligibility and supporting information. The awards committee reviews the nominations and supporting documentation and selects award recipients in all categories. The selection committee's decisions are final. All nominees will receive certificates of recognition; award recipients will receive a special engraved award. Regional award recipients will be forwarded as Virginia EMS award nominees in the corresponding categories.
Governor’s EMS Awards
Only regional winners will be judged at the state level in the Governor’s EMS Awards program.
The State EMS Advisory Board’s EMS Awards Selection Committee will review the first place winners in each of the 11 Regional EMS Councils competition. Winners selected at the state level will be forwarded with the Committee’s recommendations to the Governor.
An EMS Advisory Board Merit Award may be given to an exceptionally outstanding nominee who did not meet all of the eligibility requirements for the Governor’s Award, but deserved special recognition. If none of the applicants in a category meets the awards criteria, the Committee can nominate someone. If the Committee feels a nominee best fits another category, it may contact the nominator or Regional EMS Council to discuss making this change.