The Department of Fire & EMS is excited to announce its first Assistant Chief of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Health & Safety. Captain Jonathan Rodgers, a member of the department since 2014, has been selected to fulfill this new command staff role within the organization.
Photo above: Appointed as the department’s first Assistant Chief of EMS, Health & Safety, Captain Jonathan Rodgers brings more than a decade of service and leadership to this new role. ©Botetourt County Fire & EMS
A new position in the department, the Assistant Chief of EMS, Health & Safety will oversee the busiest segment of the department’s operational functions, EMS. The position will ensure the leadership and management of EMS operations in direct concert with the department’s Operational Medical Director (OMD), Dr. Carol Bernier. Additionally, initiatives related to the health, safety and wellbeing of personnel throughout the system will fall under the purview of this position.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the trust placed in me to serve in this new role. I look forward to supporting our personnel and ensuring they have the resources to build long, healthy and successful careers, while continuing to provide high-quality patient care to our community,” Rodgers explained.
Rodgers joined the department in 2014 as a part-time paramedic and quickly progressed into a full-time role as a firefighter/paramedic after completing a Botetourt Fire Academy. In 2019, he was promoted to Lieutenant and served as a paramedic, critical care supervisor. Promoted again in 2022, Rodgers has served as an Operations Captain leading B-Shift, where he serves today. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Concord University and is a graduate of the Virginia Fire Chief’s Association’s Fire Officer and Chief Officer academies.
“I am excited to see how this vital new role will amplify focus on the areas of EMS and the health and wellness of our responders. Jon has been a dedicated leader of our organization for several years now and I feel certain that he has prepared himself to take on the challenge of this new role,” explained Chief Ferguson.
Assistant Chief Rodgers will begin his new role on March 30.
