NVFC EMS/Rescue Section Holds Fall Meeting

November 12, 2015

On October 22, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) EMS/Rescue Section met in Concord, NC, as part of the NVFC’s fall meeting. 
 
Section Chair Juan Bonilla reviewed his activities representing the Section since the last meeting in April, including his work with the Fire Service-Based EMS Advocates (FSBEMSA) and attending a Rural EMS Conference and the National Association of EMTs board meeting. FSBEMSA requested that a Task Group be formed to develop EMS Job Performance Requirements for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Fighter and Fire Officer Professional Qualifications documents (1001 and 1021, respectively). NVFC Louisiana Director and Section member Kenn Fontenot is chairing that Task Group.
 
NVFC staff noted that the volunteer EMS/rescue resource library has been posted on the Section web site but submissions are still being accepted. Anyone who has a guidance document, SOP/SOG, or other useful policy or procedure that they would be willing to share for inclusion in the resource library should e-mail it to NVFC Program Manager Rachel Buczynski at Rachel@NVFC.org. In addition, a webinar on volunteer EMS leadership is available in the NVFC’s Virtual Classroom at www.nvfc.org/classroom. 
 
Updates were also provided on the NFPA 1917 Ambulance standard document and the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) Ground Ambulance standard document. Both documents are complete but it will take state legislation to adopt one or the other. NFPA 1917 is recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), while the CAAS document is not currently recognized by ANSI.
 
Section Director-at-Large Ed Mund reported on the Promoting Innovations in EMS (PIE) project. Mund is the Section’s representative on the project.  PIE is a nationwide effort to discover and implement best practices for emergency medical care. It is supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is administered by the Mount Sinai Health System and U.C. San Diego. View the full PIE report.
 
Section Director-at-Large Jules Scadden discussed the EMS Compass Initiative, where she serves on a subcommittee dealing with communications and outreach. The goal of EMS Compass is to help EMS systems measure and improve the quality of care at the local, regional, state, and national levels. The Initiative is supported by NHTSA and led by the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO). Click here for more information on EMS Compass. 
 
Other Items:
 
  • The Section will be working on enhancing the role of “Rescue” in the EMS/Rescue Section. Section members who have ideas or who would like to be involved with this effort should contact Dave Finger (DFinger@NVFC.org).
  • The Section has launched a series of “Thought Leader” articles that deal with major issues in EMS from a volunteer perspective. Articles so far include Paying All the Costs of Providing EMS, Factors to Consider for Fire Departments Thinking About Providing EMS, and Celebrating EMS: An Essential Public Safety Service. Section members who would like to submit an article for consideration should contact Dave Finger (DFinger@NVFC.org).
  • The Section has heard from members in several states about challenges that volunteer EMTs are having with the new National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) testing regime. Section Vice Chair Ken Knipper volunteered to reach out to NREMT to discuss this issue. Any Section member who has experienced problems with the NREMT test should contact Ken at knip613@zoomtown.com.