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What are the key differences between GSA, GVS, and NFPA? And do these differences matter?

February 25, 2022

The General Services Administration (GSA) was the government agency responsible for establishing federal standards for ambulances in 1974 and has maintained them ever since.

Ground Vehicle Standards (GVS) is a project of the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). CAAS is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited standard development agency that specializes in ground ambulance EMS standards. GVS standards were developed by a predominately EMS centric group.

NFPA is also an ANSI accredited standard development agency with experience in developing a variety of codes and standards with a focus on responder safety. NFPA 1917: Standard for Automotive Ambulances is an ANSI accredited standard that was developed by the Technical Committee using a broad group of interested parties.