National EMS Organizations Oppose Establishing a U.S. Emergency Medical Services
Administration within the Department of Homeland Security Support Alternative Approaches Increasing Federal Support for EMS Systems

May 4, 2005 For more information contact
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lisa Meyer 202-448-9500

The undersigned national emergency medical services (EMS) organizations today responded
to a series of recommendations on EMS made by George Washington University’s Homeland
Security Policy Institute. The issue brief entitled, “Back to the Future: An Agenda for
Federal Leadership of Emergency Medical Services” detailed the lack of federal attention to

EMS, particularly with regard to homeland security. It recommended significant expansion
of federal support for EMS, and strengthening its representation in the federal executive
branch. It also recommended creating a new U.S. Emergency Medical Services

Administration within the Department of Homeland Security, and moving emergency
medical services functions out of the Department of Transportation’s National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), adding them to the new DHS division.

We agree with the Institute that EMS has long been overshadowed in receiving federal
support, including homeland security first responder funding. We also agree it needs high
level executive branch attention. However, we believe that the proposal to move EMS out of
NHTSA and into a newly created EMS administration at the Department of Homeland
Security is the wrong solution to the problem, and therefore opposes this recommendation.

Instead, we support creation of an EMS office within DHS to provide leadership and support
for EMS terrorism preparedness and response, a dedicated program of EMS first responder
funding, and the passage of legislation to create a Federal Interagency Committee on
Emergency Medical Services to improve coordination among the many Federal agencies that involve EMS, not just NHTSA.

NHTSA has a productive history as a lead federal EMS coordinating agency since the late
1960’s. NHTSA has a proven track record of coordinating with other agencies including the
Health Resources and Services Administration, the Department of Homeland Security,
United State Fire Administration and the Centers for Disease Control. NHTSA also assists
the EMS community with disaster preparedness response.

The issue brief states that “EMS lacks a data collection program similar to the federal
programs provided to its first responder counterpart.” This is true, but NHTSA, in
cooperation with the Health Resources and Services Administration, has already developed
plans to address this problem, and Congress has already appropriated initial funding to
implement the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS). This
year, NHTSA will be supporting a National EMS Resource Center to assist state and local
EMS systems in data collection and analysis.

In addition, the recommendation for USEMSA continues to neglect coordination among all
federal agencies that have jurisdiction over EMS issues, including the federal agency that
provides the largest amount of funding for EMS services -- the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, as well as the Health Resources and Services Administration and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The EMS system represents the intersection of
public health, public safety and health care delivery. NHTSA, whose current administrator is
an emergency physician, is a public safety and public health agency with strong ties to the
medical community, both historically and currently.

We believe that better coordination through a Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency
Medical Services is the best approach to ensure that the needs of EMS at the federal level are
addressed. The Emergency Medical Support Act, as introduced by Senators Susan Collins
(R-ME) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) in the Senate and Congressmen Joel Hefley (R-CO) and
Tom Allen (D-ME) in the House of Representatives creates the FICEMS and a 13 member advisory panel made up of members of the EMS community. A similar version of FICEMS
has also been proposed and supported by the Bush Administration in the reauthorization of
the Department of Transportation. The Emergency Medical Services Support Act is supported by the following national EMS organizations:
Advocates for EMS, the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association, American Ambulance
Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Surgeons,
American Heart Association, American Medical Response, Association of Air Medical
Services, COMCARE, Emergency Nurses Association, Gold Cross/Mayo Medical Transport,
Medtronic Physio-Control, National Association of Emergency Medical Services Educators,
National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians, National Association of
Emergency Medical Technicians, National Association of State Emergency Medical Services
Directors, National EMS Pilot Association, National Registry of Emergency Medical
Technicians, National Rural Health Association and the National Organization of State
Offices of Rural Health.

Finally, the Institute of Medicine is in the middle of a comprehensive two-year study our
national EMS needs, and will likely address Federal agency support and responsibility to
support EMS systems across the country. Major restructuring of Federal agency support for
EMS should wait for the benefit of the IOM review.

The National Association of State EMS Directors
The National Association of EMS Physicians
The National Association of EMS Educators

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