06/21/2026
This past week, two members of Fieldale-Collinsville Rescue Squad attended the first Virginia First Responder Symposium in Blacksburg. While the event has a new name, many of us still caught ourselves calling it Rescue College throughout the week—and fortunately, nobody seemed to take any points off for it 😉
Our members spent the week expanding their knowledge and skills through specialized training programs designed to strengthen emergency services across Virginia. One member completed ICS 300, an advanced incident management course that prepares responders to function within larger, more complex incidents and disaster operations. Our Training Officer attended EMS Officer I, EVOC Instructor, and Field Training Officer programs focused on leadership development, emergency vehicle operations, and training the next generation of providers.
The Virginia First Responder Symposium offers a wide variety of educational opportunities that are difficult to find locally, including leadership development, technical rescue, incident management, instructor-level programs, emergency communications, mental health and resiliency training, and many other specialized courses.
Training like this helps ensure that the knowledge gained in the classroom is brought back home to benefit our members, our patients, and the communities we serve.
We would like to thank everyone who supports Fieldale-Collinsville Rescue Squad. Your support helps make continuing education and professional development opportunities like these possible.
Stay tuned as we work to put these new skills into practice and continue improving the service we provide to our community.
