OILVILLE, Va. — The Virginia Association of First Responders (VAFR) is marking the 30th anniversary of its first delegation to participate in the German Red Cross EMS Exchange Program in Kassel, Germany.
The organization, formerly known as the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads (VAVRS), first sent members to participate in the international EMS exchange program three decades ago.
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The partnership was established in August 1995, when German paramedics Markus Schmitz and Jens Levringhaus traveled from Kassel to Virginia as the program’s first participants.
The following year, VAVRS sent its first delegation to Germany, including Kevin Dillard and Danny Wildman of Fredericksburg Rescue Squad and LifeCare Medical Transports, and Scott Burke and John Best of Virginia Beach EMS.
Dillard and VAVRS representative Kathy Langley worked with the German Red Cross to develop the exchange into a long-running international EMS program.
“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 alternates between German EMS professionals visiting Virginia and VAFR members traveling to Kassel. The roughly 17-day exchanges allow participants to compare EMS practices, training and prehospital care while working alongside first responders in each country.
At the anniversary event, the 2026 German EMS Exchange participants discussed their experiences with Virginia first responders and the lessons they will take back to Germany. The group also presented VAFR with a German Red Cross flag.
“This anniversary is an opportunity to honor every participant, host family, agency and volunteer who has sustained this program,” Dillard said. “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 VAFR delegation is expected to travel to Kassel in 2027 to continue the exchange program.
