Victoria Fire & Rescue Chief and Victoria Town Manager Rodney Newton received a prestigious award for his efforts to educate those pursuing careers as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Newton received the Old Dominion Emergency Medical Services Alliance (ODEMSA) Regional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Award as an Outstanding Prehospital Educator during a regional ODEMSA ceremony recently held at Kings Dominion in Doswell.

Newton was one of 13 recipients to be recognized by the organization. “As a prehospital educator I help train individuals that are interested in becoming Emergency Medical Technicians,” Newton said. “We follow a national curriculum to help prepare the students to take their Virginia Office of EMS and National Registry of EMTs certification tests.”

The ODEMSA is one of 11 Regional EMS Councils within Virginia that help develop and implement effective EMS systems in the region.

According to a release from the ODEMSA, “Recipients of the Regional EMS Awards are then submitted for a chance to compete for the prestigious 2019 Governor’s EMS Awards, which will be announced as the Virginia EMS Symposium’s Annual Awards Ceremony, Nov. 9 in Norfolk. Winners will be presented with a trophy and a certificate signed by the Governor.”

Amy Howard, a past award winner in the same category as Newton, presented Newton with the award.

“He teaches because he loves it, and he motivates students to excellence by displaying it,” Howard said during the presentation, according to documentation provided by ODEMSA. “As an educator, he connects with his students. He provides individualized learning opportunities, makes learning pleasant and productive, and brings positive attributes to the classroom.

“As a life member of Victoria Fire and Rescue, he has walked their path,” Howard continued. “He’s lived the pages of the textbook from which he teaches. Students say he is a wealth of knowledge. They say his constant words of encouragement and compassion have led many, who otherwise would quit, to continue on with courses that might seem impossible to complete. He embraces the opportunity to fill new minds with knowledge, and they love him for it.”

Rodney Newton said he was shocked and grateful to have received the award.

“It was quite an honor and a surprise to be nominated and selected as the award winner,” Newton said. “It is humbling to be recognized by my peers in the Old Dominion Emergency Medical Alliance.”