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:

Contact us using the helpdesk form below

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.