National EMS Advisory Council Holds Spring 2014 Meeting

May 15, 2014

The National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC), which advises the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS), met in Washington, DC, on April 23 and 24. National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Director of Government Relations Dave Finger attended the meeting on behalf of the EMS/Rescue Section.

NEMSAC is working on updating the EMS Education Agenda for the Future and solicited public comments earlier this year to receive recommendations on edits to be made to the document. A NEMSAC subcommittee reviewed the comments and made a recommendation to the full Council on edits to incorporate into a draft version of the document. The updated draft will be made available to the public prior to the September NEMSAC meeting, where there will be additional opportunity for public comment.

The Council also discussed a request it received from FICEMS to review the FICEMS strategic plan and make recommendations on how to carry out and prioritize various action items identified in the plan. The plan includes six broad goals and 30 objectives to be implemented over the next five years. At a meeting last December, FICEMS members identified four focal areas for immediate action:

  • Supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based guidelines (EGBs) according to the National Prehospital EBG Model Process.
  • Promoting standardization and quality improvement of prehospital data by supporting the adoption and implementation of National EMS Information System-Compliant systems.
  • Improving EMS system all-hazard preparedness, including pandeminc influenza, through support of coordinated, multidisciplinary planning for disasters.
  • Working with State EMS offices to support the transition of military EMS providers to civilian practice. Many collaborative efforts are already underway, including standardization and quality improvement of data as well as the White House’s priority initiative to support the transition of military veterans into civilian positions.


Click here to access all of the materials and information that was provided to the public ahead of the meeting. The next two NEMSAC meetings will be held on September 9-10 and December 3-4, also in Washington, DC. The minutes from the recent NEMSAC meeting will be posted after they are approved at the September meeting.