The West Chester Fire Department has been named the 2026 EMS Agency of the Year by the Ohio Division of Emergency Medical Services. The statewide honor recognizes the department’s professionalism, clinical excellence, and commitment to emergency medical care. The award comes just weeks after the department earned international accreditation through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International following a three-year review process. Dr. Christopher Richards, who nominated the department for the award, praised the agency’s partnership with UC Health.
“Our partnership with the West Chester Fire Department is built on a shared commitment to improving patient care and upholding the highest standards of clinical excellence in emergency medicine,” Richards said. “Through ongoing collaboration, training, quality improvement and medical oversight, our teams continue to advance the quality of patient care.”
Township officials said West Chester is now one of about 330 fire agencies worldwide to receive accreditation through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, which measures departments against national best practices in operations and service delivery. “This recognition belongs to every member of the West Chester Fire Department,” said EMS Bureau Chief Jason Witte. “Our firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and support staff work each and every day to provide compassionate, professional care to our residents and visitors.” The department received the award Wednesday during the 2026 Annual EMS Star of Life ceremony at The Ohio State University Fawcett Conference Center in Columbus as part of National EMS Week activities. Fire Chief Rick Prinz said the recent accreditation and EMS award reflect the department’s continued growth and planning efforts. “Accreditation gave us a data-driven roadmap for the future, and this EMS award affirms the quality of care our personnel provide in the field every day,” Prinz said. The department provides fire protection, EMS, rescue response, prevention, and public education services to West Chester Township, which has a population of about 67,000 residents.
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(Photo Courtesy: West Chester Township)
