The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center has been awarded $62,665 to establish a Simulation-Based First Responder Training Initiative focused on opioid overdose response and other substance-related emergencies.
 
The funding was awarded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority. Through partnerships with Virginia Highlands Community College and the Southwest Virginia EMS Council, the initiative will help prepare Emergency Medical Technician and paramedic students, as well as current first responders, to respond effectively when lives are at risk.
 
The grant will fund an advanced, lifelike simulation manikin specifically designed to replicate the appearance and physical signs of a person experiencing an opioid overdose, along with specialized airway trainers, training supplies and instructional materials. Through realistic scenarios in the Higher Ed Center’s SWVA Regional Simulation Lab, learners will practice recognizing an overdose, making rapid treatment decisions and providing an effective emergency response. Accompanying instruction will also address harm reduction and connecting patients with treatment and recovery resources.
 
“The opioid epidemic has deeply affected families and communities across Southwest Virginia, and we have a responsibility to help prepare the healthcare professionals who respond when an overdose occurs,” said Karen Brown, Director of Healthcare Education Initiatives at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. “This initiative brings regional partners together to give current and future EMTs and paramedics realistic, hands-on training close to home. We want them to enter these critical situations with the skills and confidence to act quickly, provide compassionate care and help save lives.”
 
Virginia Highlands Community College Emergency Medical Technician students attend classes at the Higher Ed Center and will be among the primary users of the new equipment. The initiative will also create continuing education and training opportunities for current emergency medical services personnel throughout the region. The Center anticipates beginning training with the new manikin and airway trainers in spring 2027.
 
“This initiative reflects what the Regional Simulation Lab was created to do: bring education and regional partners together to address critical workforce and community needs,” Brown added. “The skills students develop here will travel with them into communities across Southwest Virginia.”
 
The Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority was established by the Virginia General Assembly in 2021 to support efforts to prevent, treat and reduce opioid use disorder and opioid misuse.