German Paramedics Learn New Ways to Save Lives with Virginia Beach EMS

As Virginia Beach EMS paramedic Laura Grabarczyk slowly walked into Station 14’s ambulance bay, four people wearing bright red and neon yellow uniforms trailed her.  

They listened intently as Grabarczyk demonstrated the advanced medical equipment EMS providers use in ambulances during calls. If it weren’t for their uniform patches stating Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, which translates to "German Red Cross", they would look like real-life superheroes in their bright-colored attire.  

The four paramedics hail from Kassel, Germany, and will spend three weeks in Virginia to observe and gain a better perspective about the state’s emergency medical services (EMS) system. 

EMS Exchange Program 

Their visit is part of Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squad’s (VAVRS) EMS Exchange Program with the city of Kassel, Germany. Last year, VAVRS sent Grabarczyk and four other volunteers from the Commonwealth to Kassel – a city with a population of 192,000, two hours north of Frankfurt – to learn about the German EMS system. 

From Nov. 4-6, Grabarczyk and her family hosted the paramedics – Marvin Abel, Luisa Hornschuh, Falk Schramm and Katharina Weber – in Virginia Beach, where they toured EMS Headquarters and met with the chiefs, operational providers and staff. They also had an opportunity to see the advanced tools used in a rescue squad ambulance and met officials at the FBI Norfolk Office.  

A New Experience 

This isn’t Weber’s first time in the U.S. She visited rural areas of Wyoming and Indiana. 

“It’s totally new for me to be in the big city and for the rest of our group, it’s the first time in the U.S.,” Weber said. “It is such a different type of living. Everything is different.” 

Weber said the standards for emergency medical services in the United States and Germany are the same, but differ in several ways, including the paramedic role. In Germany, a physician takes the lead role and performs medical interventions in the field. In the U.S., pre-hospital care is provided by paramedics and EMTs, then the patient is transported to the hospital and receives treatment from an emergency physician.  

With all the newest tools and technology Virginia Beach EMS showcased to the German paramedics, it was a simple life-saving mask that impressed Weber – a pet oxygen mask used on animals during respiratory distress and emergency situations.  

“I love animals, and in Germany EMS, we don’t have dog oxygen masks,” she said. “So that was super cool.” 

Weber said her team has experienced a heartwarming welcome during their stay in Virginia Beach. 

“We are staying with Laura and her family, and they have been so welcoming. I think it is a bit different in Germany,” Weber said. “The work of EMS and the medics here [in U.S.] is on another level and everybody appreciates our work and that is not so typical in Germany.” 

Learn More 

• Read about Laura Grabarczyk’s visit to Germany last year, learning the country’s EMS system. 
• Become a volunteer – visit ems.virginiabeach.gov/volunteer. 
• Still unsure? You can ride along on an ambulance through the Observer Program. Learn more at ems.virginiabeach.gov/observe.  

EMS is an award-winning third-service agency that answers more than 53,000 calls for service annually. Through VB Rescue, EMS utilizes a combined career-volunteer workforce and was named a 2024 American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Gold EMS Agency. Learn more about EMS by visiting ems.virginiabeach.gov. You can also contact Virginia Beach EMS at vbems@vbgov.com.