EMS Exchange Delegation to Germany Marks 30 Years
Source: Virginia Association of First Responders
OILVILLE, Va. — The Virginia Association of First Responders (VAFR), formerly the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads (VAVRS), is commemorating the 30th anniversary of the first association delegation to participate in the German Red Cross EMS Exchange Program in Kassel, Germany.
The international partnership began in August 1995, when German EMS paramedics Markus Schmitz and Jens Levringhaus became the program’s first participants and traveled from Kassel to Virginia. The following year, VAVRS sent its first delegation to Germany: Kevin Dillard and Danny Wildman of Fredericksburg Rescue Squad and LifeCare Medical Transports, and Scott Burke and John Best of Virginia Beach EMS.
Kathy Langley of VAVRS and Kevin Dillard, the program’s original chair, served as the principal contacts during the exchange program’s earliest stages. Their work with the German Red Cross helped establish what would become one of the association’s most distinctive and enduring programs.
“When we traveled to Germany in 1996, we knew we were being given an extraordinary opportunity to learn, but we could not have imagined the lasting impact the exchange would have over the next 30 years,” Dillard said. “We discovered that while our systems, training, and approaches to patient care may differ, our commitment to helping people in their greatest time of need is the same. The knowledge we shared was invaluable, but the friendships and mutual respect built across the Atlantic have been the program’s greatest legacy.”
The program follows an alternating-year format. German EMS professionals visit Virginia to observe emergency response operations, tour hospitals and public safety agencies, and spend time alongside Virginia first responders. In the following exchange cycle, four VAFR members traditionally travel to Kassel, where they experience the German Rettungsdienst system first-hand and work with colleagues from the German Red Cross and other public safety organizations.
Exchange activities generally span approximately 17 days and combine professional education with cultural experiences. Participants compare clinical practices, training standards, system organization and the respective roles of physicians, paramedics and emergency medical technicians in prehospital care. They return home with new ideas, a broader perspective and professional relationships that continue for many years.
Although international travel was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the partnership endured and the exchange program resumed. Its continuation reflects the commitment of both organizations to shared learning, professional growth and international cooperation.
As part of the anniversary commemoration held on Sept. 13, the 2026 German EMS Exchange participants gave a presentation about their experiences in Virginia and the lessons they will take home to Germany. They also presented a flag from the German Red Cross to the VAFR. Their participation continues a tradition that began with Schmitz and Levringhaus in 1995 and the first Virginia delegation in 1996.
“This anniversary is an opportunity to honor every participant, host family, agency and volunteer who has sustained this program,” Dillard added. “Kathy Langley played an instrumental role in turning an idea into a lasting partnership. Three decades later, each new delegation continues building on the foundation established in those early years.”
The next outbound VAFR delegation is expected to travel to Kassel in 2027.
More information about the EMS Exchange Program is available at www.vafr.org/ems-exchange-program.
