News & Events

News

NASEMSO Releases 2020 Specialty Systems of Care Assessment

May 27, 2020

(Falls Church, Va.) “Specialty Systems of Care: An Analysis of Statewide Practices Related to Time Sensitive Emergencies” is a new compilation from the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) that focuses on the legal authority of states to organize and implement specialized systems of care for time sensitive emergencies such as stroke and chest pain. These elements are important to the matching of EMS and medical resources to patient needs and outcomes over a specified geographic area. The data was compiled from multiple interactions with state EMS officials, affiliated partners, and independent research to fill in several informational gaps from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The evaluation resulted in several key findings:

Efforts to improve cardiovascular care is occurring in all 50 states and the District of Columbia at varying levels.
Formal systems of care coordination at a statewide level involved 82% of all states.
• Not all systems of care coordination is directed by the state lead agency for EMS.

Overall, findings were that systems of care coordination among the states is complex and multifaceted. State EMS authorities share responsibilities with other state agencies, regional boards and coordinating bodies, and community partnerships. Recognition of an event and the time to treatment is of utmost importance and a high priority to the EMS and emergency care community. However, limited federal support and funding from charitable foundations that has become available to compliment this effort are focused more on prevention, disease management, and hospital care than EMS response and systems coordination. The existence of multiple definitions, multiple standards, and multiple data registries has created some national diversity in how states coordinate specialty care.

The report is available from the NASEMSO website.

NASEMSO, NAEMSP and ACEP to Develop Pre-Hospital Pain Management Evidence-Based Guideline

May 21, 2020

(Falls Church, Va.) The National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO), in collaboration with the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), is leading a project to develop an evidence-based guideline (EBG) for the pharmacologic management of acute pain in the prehospital setting. One of the most frequent conditions encountered by EMS professionals in the field is pain. While appropriate use of controlled substances is within the standard of care for treating pain in the prehospital setting, the opioid crisis currently facing the nation has fueled an urgent need to develop evidence-based recommendations on the prehospital use of analgesics. Read More

NASEMSO Annual Meeting Canceled

May 14, 2020

In light of the prolonged national SARS-CoV-2 emergency, the NASEMSO Board of Directors has canceled the 2020 Annual Meeting that was previously rescheduled to August 31 – September 3 in Reno, NV.

In an e-mail to members, Executive Director Dia Gainor wrote, “Discussions are currently underway on whether to pivot to virtual sessions. Input will be sought in the near future on what kinds of remote meeting events and presentations may be of interest and value to our members this fall.

As we pause to determine a path forward to meet the association’s needs, we continue to pray for the health and safety of our EMS responders, members, and partners.”

Additional information regarding registration refunds and credits, as well as future meetings will be posted on this website as they become available.

NASEMSO Releases 2020 National EMS Assessment

April 9, 2020

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and applause for first responders in the United States, the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials (NASEMSO) has released the 2020 National EMS Assessment updating the 2011 assessment. The 2020 assessment provides a comprehensive accounting by state/territory of the numbers and types of all 911 ambulance services and emergency medical services (EMS) professionals. Read More

Indiana joins EMS Compact

March 17, 2020

On Friday March 13, 2020, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed legislation making that state the 20th to join the EMS Compact. The statute is effective 90 days from signing.

Dr. Michael Kaufmann, State EMS Medical Director said; This EMS Compact just makes sense for Indiana. We have borders with four other states and are hopeful that our entry into the Compact gives an incentive for our neighbors to join. My thanks to our legislature, our Governor and all the groups that supported this legislation. Read More

Interstate Compact Operational to Help Response to COVID-19

March 13, 2020

At the regular meeting of the Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice (EMS Compact Commission) on Tuesday March 10, 2020, the EMS Compact Commission approved use of the EMS Compact process effective Monday March 16, 2020 in response to personnel needs associated with COVID-19. This decision enables EMS personnel licensed in Compact member states (home states) to cross state borders using a privilege to practice and work in other Compact states (remote state) without getting an EMS license in the remote state.

EMS Compact Commission Chair, Joe Schmider (Texas) said; “We already know of EMS personnel in states around the country who are in quarantine from occupational contacts with suspected ill patients. For many EMS agencies, the loss of a few key personnel for two weeks, even if they don’t become ill, can stress daily operations. The EMS Compact was built in part for this exact scenario. We want the EMS Compact to be one more tool in the toolbox that states can use in responding to this evolving public health event.” Read More

West Virginia Joins EMS Compact

March 13, 2020

The Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice welcomes West Virginia as the 19th state to join the EMS Compact. Governor James Justice signed the legislation on March 5th which becomes effective on June 3, 2020. Formal entry to the EMS Compact requires a vote of the Commission which is scheduled for June 16, 2020 in Reno, NV at the Commission’s annual meeting.

The EMS Compact enables licensed EMS personnel to cross state borders using a privilege to practice in other EMS Compact member states without obtaining a separate license. Other provisions of the EMS Compact legislation include a coordinated personnel licensing data system for member states to share information on their licensed personnel. The Compact also supports expedited licensing in member states for military personnel and their spouses upon discharge from service. In addition to West Virginia, several other states are considering EMS Compact legislation this year. Read More

EMS Week Planning Kits now available

January 2, 2020

EMS Week is presented annually in a partnership between the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the National Association of EMTs (NAEMT).

This year, EMS Week will be May 17 – 23 and the theme is EMS Strong: Ready Today, Preparing for Tomorrow

ACEP began collecting and distributing ideas and information for EMS Week in the early 1980’s. Professionally printed and prepared EMS Week Planning kits were developed starting in the late 1980’s. Today 25,000 EMS Week Planning Guides are distributed free of charge to EMS services, fire departments, rescue squads, volunteer groups, and emergency departments across the country. The 48-page guide contains ideas for local EMS Week activities and highlights EMS Week programs held by EMS services during the previous year.

To order one copy of the Planning Kit, click here. For bulk orders, please use this form.

Additional information is available from ACEP and NAEMT.

Maine Partners with Biospatial

November 14, 2019

(Falls Church, Va.) – Maine EMS, a bureau within the Department of Public Safety, has completed Data Use and Analytic agreements to become the twenty-third state to partner with Biospatial, Inc. Biospatial uses emergency medical services and health-related data sources to provide timely, national-scale syndromic detection, monitor real-time trends, and alert to syndromic anomalies critical to the nation’s health and safety. Maine EMS will submit de-identified National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) data elements to the Biospatial platform to assist in national preparedness and enhance Maine’s ability to visualize their data with other data layers of relevance.

November 6, 2019

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced a Draft Order and Draft Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) consistent with requirements it suggested in 2015 and which NASEMSO and other public safety associations have supported prior to that. The Order would establish requirements for being able to locate a caller in a multistory building within approximately nine vertical (known as the “z-axis”) feet of their location (a building story is generally ten feet). There is currently no requirement in this regard. The NPRM would seek to refine this requirement further and establish a tighter horizontal (“x axis and y axis”) location accuracy than now exists.