Wythe County wins two VACO achievement awards for EMS model and Reed Creek Blueway

The Wythe County Board of Supervisors received two achievement awards from the Virginia Association of Counties on June 30, recognizing the county's emergency services model and the Reed Creek Blueway project.

Joe Lurch of VACO presented the awards to the board and described the first honor as recognition for the county's hybrid emergency response model that pairs part-time paid personnel with volunteer fire departments to bolster response in rural areas. "It's that hybrid staffing model, that supports the volunteer fire departments with part time personnel," Lurch said, noting the approach has been viewed as a potential model for other jurisdictions.

County officials said the EMS changes were driven by concerns about daytime volunteer availability and that the restructured system has improved response times and outcomes. One board member highlighted recent examples where local EMS providers administered lifesaving CPR and coordinated medevac transport, saying those cases demonstrated the value of closer local coordination.

The second award honored the Reed Creek Blueway, a multiyear effort to improve public access and recreational opportunities along Reed Creek. Lurch noted the project grew through partnerships and easements rather than large-scale land acquisition, and credited a $100,000 Virginia Outdoors Foundation grant that helped establish new portage parks. "It was really interesting that you're involving the citizens in training, so it's all part of a county solution," he said.

County officials said the Blueway has already drawn local interest and could become a tourism draw if further connections (possibly toward the New River) are developed. Photographs and brief remarks followed the presentation.

The awards were presented during the regular board meeting; no formal board action was required for the recognitions.