Jeff started out his EMS career as a volunteer at Nansemond-Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad.  His passion for EMS started in his high-school science class where he met a student-teacher who was a volunteer at NSVRS.  He became "hooked" after his first ride-along at the age of 17.

Since that time, he has served Suffolk, Isle of Wight, and the larger first responder community in many ways.  He served on the board of directors of NSVRS, organized the Continuing Concepts in Prehospital Emergency Medicine conference, worked his way from "driver only" to Paramedic, taught BLS, PALS, and ACLS, and was a paramedic instructor. He has had the honor of working alongside some of the best firefighters, police officers and dispatchers in the area.

Jeff's passion for supporting his peers is deep-seated in his desire to "just be a good human".  His own personal battles with the stresses of being an EMS provider over the years added up.  One day, he realized that he was finding it difficult to sleep, couldn't stop reliving calls, was drinking more than normal, and had rough patches in his personal relationships.

It all came to a head after a particularly traumatic call when he felt that the system that was supposed to help, actually left him and his peers worse off than before.  That's when he realized something had to change; both in himself, and the support system that was in place.

After hearing about a new program created by Suffolk Fire & Rescue that offered peer support to its firefighters, Jeff and his best friend, Molly, decided that Isle of Wight needed that kind of help, too.  That's how Isle of Wight Peer Support was born.  Not through a top-down, policy-driven approach, but through a grass-roots, "we need help" initiative.

Jeff is dedicated to his first responder community and to helping them find the resources they need to feel supported.  He will listen without judgement.