Henrico ageism-awarness program earns top VACo award
Henrico County recently earned the Virginia Association of Counties’ highest award for a program designed to increase awareness of ageism and highlight how stereotyping, prejudice or bias against older adults can lead to poorer health outcomes.
The program, titled “Combating Ageism Amongst Emergency Service Providers,” received the Best Achievement Award among the 40 recipients of VACo’s 2026 awards program.
Henrico also earned an Achievement Award for “Arrive Alive,” a comprehensive transportation safety program to improve understanding and address patterns of fatal and serious injury crashes across the community.
“Combating Ageism” was developed in 2024 by the Outreach & Engagement Agency’s Older Adult Services unit and the Division of Fire, with guidance from the Virginia Center on Aging. Adults ages 65 and older account for more than 55% of Henrico’s 911 calls, despite representing less than 20% of its population.
In June 2025, nearly 100 Fire officers participated in a training that offered strategies to enhance communication in support of older adults, leading to more respectful, healthier interactions and better care during emergency encounters.
“Henrico County’s program stood out for tackling an issue that often goes unrecognized but has a direct impact on workforce culture, service delivery and public trust,” said Charles Hartgrove, managing director of the Virginia Institute of Government and a judge in the VACo awards program. “By addressing ageism within emergency services, Henrico has created a model that strengthens both its employees and the communities they serve.
“Arrive Alive” was developed by the Department of Public Works with Police, Fire and other agencies using a federal Safe Streets and Roads For All grant. The project incorporated community input and analyzed crash data, roadway characteristics, land use and demographic factors to identify the county’s first High Injury Network, a small percentage of roadways where most severe crashes occur. Overall, “Arrive Alive” was designed to provide a consistent framework for prioritizing transportation system improvements.
Henrico was one of seven localities to receive multiple VACo awards in 2026. The county has received a total of 53 Achievement Awards – the second most – since the program’s inception in 2003.
View the award submission forms for “Combating Ageism Amongst Emergency Service Providers” and “Arrive Alive.”
