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In July, US Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao appointed 24 leaders from EMS, healthcare and other sectors to serve on the National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC). Chosen from more than 100 nominations, new and returning members will collaborate to provide advice and recommendations regarding EMS to NHTSA and to the members of the Federal Interagency […]
Leaders from federal agencies with a role in shaping U.S. EMS systems gathered earlier this summer for a meeting of the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS). At the meeting, officials stressed the importance of collaboration with EMS professionals at all levels. “Be our eyes and ears out there,” encouraged FICEMS Chair Ed Gabriel, deputy […]
When public health officials and researchers learn about the data EMS providers collect every day, they are often shocked—and excited. The information collected in electronic patient care records, computer-aided dispatch systems and other sources offers rich material for officials trying to address public health issues ranging from opioid overdoses to vehicle crashes to stroke and […]
Following the recent nerve agents poisonings in the United Kingdom, the emergency response community has requested information and advice to enhance preparedness. “Nerve Agent Information for Emergency Medical Services and Hospitals” serves as a refresher on standard protocols for recognizing, treating, and protecting oneself from nerve agent exposures. The document also compares and contrasts the […]
As an emergency physician, EMS medical director, and now director of the NHTSA Office of EMS, I have worked closely with EMS providers whose dedication to their patients and their colleagues often goes unrecognized. As we celebrate another EMS Week, I want to thank each of you, your families and all the people who make […]
Mass casualty incidents usually don’t adhere to jurisdictional boundaries and response often involves multiple agencies, regions and states. The Model Uniform Core Criteria for Mass Casualty Incident Triage (MUCC) were created to help ensure that every responder is using triage protocols that follow similar evidence-based standards. Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has […]
For the past 12 years, Advanced Automatic Collision Notification (AACN) technology has been a part of modern EMS field triage and response. During a collision, vehicles with AACN capability transmit crash data to Telematics Service Providers, who verbally relay the information to local Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). Dispatchers at the PSAP can alert first […]
Every day, EMS providers gather important patient and response data from traffic crashes throughout the country. EMS researchers, as well as local and state EMS systems, often use this data, but its usefulness can go well beyond the EMS community. Thanks to a new tool made possible by the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS), anyone can now […]
Most EMS providers are familiar with the lack of closure that comes from caring for a patient on the way to the emergency department, but not finding out the patient’s outcome after care is turned over to the hospital staff. This lack of follow-up can be frustrating and may also be a missed opportunity for […]
90-day public comment period is open for Request for Information to improve pre-hospital trauma care. Each year, nearly 200,000 people in the U.S. die from traumatic injuries. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) estimate as many as 20% of these deaths could have been prevented. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), on […]
