NEMSAC and FICEMS Meet in Washington, DC
September 9, 2015
The National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC) and Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS) both met recently in Washington, DC. NEMSAC is a council of 25 individuals representing different disciplines within EMS that provides advice and recommendations on EMS matters to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). FICEMS was established by Congress to ensure coordination among federal agencies involved with state, local, tribal, and regional EMS and 9-1-1 systems.
The NEMSAC meeting was the first since U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx appointed the new Council members in May, including 19 first-time members. All of the NEMSAC members were sworn in for two-year terms. John Sinclair and Anne Montera were elected Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the NEMSAC for the new term.
The FICEMS meeting featured presentations on several topical issues including bystander response, EMS active shooter response, a discussion about opioid overdoses and an update from the National Association of State EMS Officials on the EMS Compass project to develop EMS performance measures.
