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Recruits Graduate From Roanoke Valley Regional Fire & EMS Academy

Graduates of Academy #22.

The Roanoke Valley Regional Fire & EMS Academy #22 consisting of 13 personnel representing Roanoke County only have graduated at Valley Word Church. Each recruit was called to the stage and pinned with their official firefighter badge.

The academy was a result of Roanoke County Fire & Rescue receiving over $1 million in grant money from the Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire & Rescue (SAFER) program. The cost-sharing grant allowed for the funding of 11 personnel. The additional personnel will bring the Department’s staffing needs up to minimum levels.

The Thirteen individuals representing Roanoke County Fire & Rescue spent 20 weeks and nearly 1000 hours receiving instruction and practical training in the areas of basic firefighting skills and emergency medical service (EMS) instruction. The fire training included building construction, forcible entry, ventilation, search and rescue, and hazardous material operations to name a few.

The EMS training included: basic anatomy and physiology, medical trauma assessments, diabetic difficulties, cardiac, respiratory, heat and cold emergencies, how to use a variety of medical equipment, and the importance of patient rights.

The Academy ended with a live-burn at the Roanoke Valley Regional Fire & EMS Training Center (RVRTC) where recruits were able to test their practical skills.  Most of the training was completed at the RVRTC located on Kessler Mill Road in Roanoke County.

The graduates received their station assignments immediately following the ceremony, and will begin their first station shift on Monday.

Bringing the fire and EMS departments together to learn, train, and grow provides consistency among all firefighter/EMS personnel—whether stationed in City of Roanoke, Roanoke County or the City of Salem—minimizing costs to each jurisdiction through shared instructors and equipment.

 

 

The Roanoke Valley Regional Fire & EMS Training Center is a partnership between Roanoke County, the City of Roanoke, the City of Salem, and the Town of Vinton; and is a continuing effort to enhance fire and EMS safety operations and to improve the delivery of these critical services through better training. It creates a system that allows for each area to have access to a state-ofthe-art facility, as well as the sharing of resources to include specialized instructors and equipment, resulting in greater productivity region-wide.

Graduates of Academy #22

Ronald Akers                        Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Andrew Amos                       Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Jacob Dodson                       Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Michael Firestone                Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Sean Forrest                         Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Kyle Johnson                        Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Tim Marshall, II                    Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Dustin Rice                           Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

James Slater                         Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Zachary Snider                     Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Adam Varian                         Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Nicholas Walker                   Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

Francis Wolowski, Jr.            Roanoke County Fire & Rescue

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