Administrative Office & Training Center
Central Shenandoah EMS Council
2312 West Beverley Street
Staunton, VA 24401
Office Phone: 540-886-3676
Fax: 540-886-3735
Office Hours:
Monday – Thursday
8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Who are we and what do we do?
Central Shenandoah EMS Council (CSEMS) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit corporation which provides regional EMS planning and technical support services and American Heart Association First Aid, CPR and AED training to its five cities and five counties, eleven towns and many public agencies within its boundary. Localities served by the Council include: the cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton and Waynesboro and the counties of Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge and Rockingham. The region mirrors the boundaries of Virginia’s Sixth Planning District which covers a geographic area of 3,439 square miles with a population of over 290,000. This makes the region the Commonwealth’s largest planning district, geographically speaking, and fifth largest in terms of population. The member EMS agencies include non-profit, government and commercial services with a mixture of both paid and volunteer staff.
Council funding is largely based upon a contract with the Virginia Department of Health’s Virginia Office of EMS for those services provided to the region that fall within their statewide plan and role. Other funding comes from the Council’s American Heart Association Community Training Center which provides First Aid, CPR and AED training to the local community as well as oversight of a large AHA CPR Instructor base which stretches from the Northern Shenandoah Valley to Roanoke and Danville in the south and over the mountain into Albemarle, Charlottesville, Green and Madison counties. In 2018, the Council entered an agreement with the Virginia Office of EMS to become the Commonwealth’s first Regional Office of EMS, enabling operations and oversight to be directly provided by Virginia Office of EMS Staff, with collaboration and regional planning by the CSEMS Board of Directors and regional committees.
Established in 1979, the Council continues to facilitate regional planning and implementation of the regional EMS system in the Central Shenandoah Valley.
Central Shenandoah EMS Council Mission Statement
To provide regional planning and support services that will help reduce death and disability resulting from sudden or serious injury and illness in the communities we serve through planning and development of a comprehensive, coordinated regional EMS system and the provision of high-quality educational resources to enable the EMS community to provide the highest quality emergency medical care possible to those in need.
CSEMS Board of Directors:
Name |
Role |
Representation |
Matt Lawler |
Board Member |
Augusta County |
Jeff Grimm |
Board Member |
Bath County |
Ronnie Slough |
Board Member |
Buena Vista City |
Travis Karicofe |
Board Member |
Harrisonburg City |
Vacant |
Board Member |
Highland County |
Ty Dickerson |
Board Member |
Lexington City |
Nathan Ramsey |
Board Member |
Rockbridge County |
Steve Powell |
Vice President |
Rockingham County |
Scott Garber |
Board Member |
Staunton City |
Gary Critzer |
President |
Waynesboro City |
Donna Hurst |
Treasurer |
VHHA Northwest Region |
Taylor Rhodes |
Board Member |
EMS Provider (CSEMS) |
Gregory Cassis |
Board Member |
EMS Provider (CSEMS) |
Vacant |
Board Member |
Immediate Past President |
Robin Root |
Board Member |
Consumer Representative |
Asher Brand |
Board Member |
CSEMS Medical Director |
Meet our Staff:

Daniel Linkins,
CSEMS Regional Director, Virginia Office of EMS

Charles Feiring
CSEMS Technical Resource Specialist, Virginia Office of EMS

Amanda Loreti
CSEMS Performance Improvement Specialist, Virginia Office of EMS

Becky Anhold
Education Coordinator, Virginia Office of EMS

Laurie Cook
Accounting Manager & AHA Training Center Coordinator, CSEMS

Vicky Anderson
Administrative Assistant & AHA Instructor, Virginia Office of EMS

James Larrick
Technical Resource Assistant, Virginia Office of EMS
Contact us using the helpdesk form below
Board Meetings
The Board of Directors meets each quarter. Meetings are held at the Central Shenandoah EMS Council Training Center located at 2312 W. Beverley St., Staunton, VA 24401.
-
Jan30
-
CSEMS Board of Directors Meeting
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Central Shenandoah EMS Council
-
Strategic Planning
Virginia Code § 32.1-111.4:2 requires each Regional EMS Council to to adopt a Strategic Regional EMS Plan, which must be incorporated into the Statewide EMS Plan. Every three years, CSEMS will revise the Strategic Regional EMS Plan to guide programs and services offered in the region. EMS agency leaders, providers and other stakeholders are encouraged to review the plan and provide suggestions to accomplish the objectives outlined. The Strategic Regional EMS Plan is a guide to facilitate continuous improvement of services delivered to the community, and outlines the region’s plan toward the Virginia Department of Health’s vision of becoming the healthiest state in the nation.
Additional Corporate Information
- Federal Employer Identification Number (FIN): 54-1906904
- Dun & Bradstreet, Inc., (DUNS) Number: 0711-48345
- Guidestar: Search EIN (54-1906904), or “Central Shenandoah Emergency Medical Services”