Ken Smith

Chippenham Hospital’s emergency management coordinator, Ken Smith, won the 2022 Old Dominion EMS Alliance Regional EMS Council Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS Emergency Preparedness and Response. Smith was nominated by one of his peers in the region for his work at Chippenham, which is a Level I Trauma Center.

One of the biggest challenges of his job is planning for the unknown. His responsibilities include thinking about things that may affect the facility and then having a response plan.

“Ultimately, it’s planning for the unexpected and then working with community partners to make sure that not only our internal plan is in intact, but that the external response is as well,” Smith said. “We understand what our partners are going to do when they come and assist.”

Smith was a key player in a recent full-scale emergency response training exercise, which was covered by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. A mock plane crash scenario conducted at Richmond International Airport included over 300 participants from emergency response teams and volunteer organizations in the metro area. The training was part of a larger citywide plan that includes Chippenham. Mass casualty incident drills are held a minimum of twice a year at the facility.

Smith said it was an honor to be recognized by his peers. “My passion for emergency management is definitely a lot higher than most folks,” Smith said. “Community participation and working with partners on exercises is one of my favorite things.”

Watch Ken Smith’s award segment