UPDATED: February 18, 2019
Visitation Info:
Thursday, February 21st, & Friday, February 22nd, from 4-7pm
Cross Pointe Church of the Nazarene
8710 Hull St Rd.
North Chesterfield, VA 23236
Memorial Service:
Saturday, February 23rd, starting at 1pm
Amelia County High School
8500 Otterburn Road
Amelia, VA 23002
Members of the public safety community are asked to be there by 12 pm.
It is also requested they arrive in dress uniform, for those that can. There will be designated parking for emergency vehicles.
With heavy heart, ODEMSA mourns the death of Karen E. Giles. Her untimely passing was sudden and unexpected, leaving many of us in shock.
The memorial service will be: Saturday, February 23rd at the Amelia County High School, 8500 Otterburn Road, Amelia VA beginning at 1pm. Members of the public safety community are asked to be there by 12pm. It is also requested they arrive in dress uniform, for those that can. There will be designated parking for emergency vehicles.
Karen was heavily involved with ODEMSA. She was a member of Amelia Emergency Squad and represented them on ODEMSA’s South Central Sub-Council, of which she was elected secretary. She was a member of ODEMSA’s Board of Directors, as the EMS Representative for South Central. She was a trusted and skilled evaluator at ODEMSA’s Consolidated EMS Test Sites (CTS), and she was a member of the ODEMSA Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)/Peer Support Team.
It was in her role as a member of the ODEMSA CISM Team that she taught us all how to behave in times like this – we rely on one another and support each other when difficult times are upon us. We will safely keep our memories of her, each memory dipped in love and wrapped in the joy of knowing she was our friend and a true champion of EMS. Our memories, of her contributions to EMS, will forever be reflected in the many lives she touched as a provider.
Beyond her accomplishments with ODEMSA, Karen was involved with many other organizations throughout her 30-year career as a first responder: Member- Hampden Sydney Vol. Fire & Rescue, Member- Burkeville Volunteer Fire Department, Member- Nottoway County Emergency Squad, Inc., Member- Amelia Vol Fire Dept. CO1, Member and Training Officer- Amelia Emergency Squad, Inc., Member- @Crater Health District Medical Reserve Corps, Instructor- Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads, Member- John Tyler Community College EMS Advisory Board and Faculty- Clinical Coordinator John Tyler Community College Department of EMS Education
Our deepest sympathy to Karen’s family, members of Amelia Emergency Squad and to her many friends and EMS colleagues. Her presence will forever be missed in the ODEMSA Region as well as the Commonwealth of VA. As details become available and are appropriate to share, ODEMSA will provide updates, including information on service arrangements.
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