Federal EMS Committee Conducting Review of EMS and 911 Response to COVID-19

September 21, 2021

The Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS) has launched an examination of the ongoing national emergency medical services and 911 response to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States.

The resulting white paper will highlight challenges, successes, and failures experienced by EMS and 911 organizations at the federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels of the national COVID-19 response and serve as a guide for both the ongoing response and future pandemic planning. The white paper will be developed with input from representatives of emergency services organizations (EMS, fire service, 911, and emergency management), emergency response agencies, healthcare, public health agencies, and regulatory organizations who play a role in the COVID-19 pandemic response.

FICEMS will be inviting stakeholder organizations from the EMS and 911 community to provide input at virtual listening sessions over the next several months. The listening sessions will cover a broad range of topics related to the ongoing COVID-19 response. A final report, based on the information gathered during the listening sessions and additional research, will be published by FICEMS and available on ems.gov early next year.

More information about this project will be shared as it becomes available. To learn more about FICEMS, which was established by Congress in 2005 to ensure coordination among federal agencies supporting local, regional, state, tribal, and territorial EMS and 911 systems, visit the FICEMS web site.