New Fire Department Based EMS Web Site

New Fire-Based EMS Web Site

I you haven't seen it here is some infomation on a new Fire Service-Based EMS Web site (www.fireserviceems.com.) to educate decision-makers about the important role of fire service-based EMS. The advocacy group was formed in 2006 by five national fire service organizations to clarify the role of fire service-based EMS in the continuum of the prehospital 911 emergency medical care system. As Congress and the administration continue to make important policy decisions on emergency medical services in this country, EMS Advocates will use the site to provide objective information from respected fire and emergency services leaders to ensure that policy makers have accurate data to help them make informed decisions.

Last year the National Volunteer Fire Council worked with the EMS Advocates steering committee to develop a white paper and video detailing the benefits and importance of fire service-based EMS. The white paper, “Prehospital 911 Emergency Medical Response: The Role of the United States Fire Service in Delivery and Coordination,” was written by four nationally recognized EMS physicians. The video, “Fire Service-Based EMS: The Right Response,” features commentary from Chief Dennis Compton, co-chair of the Fire Service-Based EMS Advocates, and several other leading public safety officials. It also includes information on how organizations and individuals can become Advocates and join in the effort to educate elected officials and other decisions makers on the critical role of fire service-based EMS in protecting our nation’s citizens. Both of these resources can now be found on the new Web site.
“Next year, a new administration will appoint a cadre of officials who oversee a number of federal programs that impact our emergency response systems,” Compton says. “In addition, there will be a number of new members in Congress. The goal of our group is to make sure that the voices of our nation’s one million first responders are heard on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue and to participate in the discourse when important decisions are being made about prehospital 911 emergency medical services.”

The steering committee of the Fire Service-Based EMS Advocates is made up of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters and the National Fire Protection Association, in addition to the NVFC.