EMS Leadership Challenge


Be a Leader Among Heroes

Why EMS Leadership?

If you are in EMS, you are a hero. If you are a leader in EMS, your job is more complex than ever. Changes like; integrating career and volunteer, revenue recovery, increasing call demands and greater competition for new recruits are just a few of the reasons why EMS agency leaders must become better leaders faster. The VAVRS wants to help equip you with the necessary leadership skills you need to be a leader among heroes.

What is the EMS Leadership Challenge?

Recognized as the Gold Standard of EMS Leadership training, the EMS Leadership Challenge is a self-development leadership program created exclusively for EMS agency leaders in Virginia. Working with professional skills development consultants, a project team made up of proven successful EMS leaders identified 15 Core Leadership Competencies essential for success in leading an EMS agency. These Core Leadership Competencies lay the foundation for our leadership development program.

The EMS Leadership Challenge involves a Six-Step Process:

Step 1. Self-Assessment Survey- Utilizing the EMS Core Competency Survey and an on-line assessment tool we will help you identify your leadership style, strengths and areas needing development.

Step 2. Attend a Leadership Challenge Summit- This 24 hour workshop is the starting point of your personal leadership development process. At the summit you will work along side other EMS leaders like yourself in an intensive workshop solving common agency problems and identifying your personal leadership goals. At the summit you will be assigned a personal leadership development coach (PC), who will work with you throughout your self study process to develop your competency level.

Steps 3 & 4. Development Action Plan and Self Study- Your Personal Coach will help you understand your competency survey and assessment results and assist you in customizing a development action plan (DAP). The plan will focus on the core competencies you need to improve or desire to further develop. Your DAP will include required readings, exercises and applications and your Personal Coach will assist you to reach a predetermined plateau in your study process.

Step 5. Competency Assessment- After completing your Development Action Plan you will be assessed on your cognitive understanding of the competencies designated in your DAP. To insure you can also perform these competencies; you will utilize your learning in your final Leadership Challenge Project based on real time challenges for success.

Step 6. Complete A Gold Standard Project- Your final project is the last step in becoming certified as a Gold Standard EMS Leader. You will complete a DAP, keep a journal, write a final thesis and present the results of your project to our project review team. Your project results and challenges may be shared with other EMS as a means of networking common issues and the success of leadership development through the EMS Leadership Challenge.

What can I expect to gain as a graduate of the EMS Leadership Challenge?

-Higher levels of proficiency in competencies important to EMS leadership success.

-A deeper understanding of the principles and practices of EMS leadership.

-Improved problem solving and analytical skills over a wider variety of real life problems.

-The satisfaction of growing as an EMS professional and leader prepared to meet the EMS leadership challenges of the future.

-Category 2 Continuing Education Credits, and

-State credentialing as a certified EMS Gold Standard Leader.

What is a Personal Coach?

An EMS Leadership Challenge PC is your own experienced coach and mentor. Our Personal Coaches include Executive Coaches, Organizational and Behavioral Specialists and Leadership Instructors with Masters and PhD's in Leadership Development.

How do I sign up?

Enrollment can be completed by contacting Karen Wagner and/or Gary Dalton, EMS Leadership Challenge Program Co-Coordinators at kwagner@vavrs or gdalton@vavrs.com.