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Emergency Medical Services Section

Updates and Action Items

Letter on Drug Shortages Affecting EMS Sent to Congress

The IAFC, working with the EMS Section and other national EMS-related organizations, sent a letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee members and Senate HELP Committee members to raise awareness that drug shortages are affecting EMS agencies. Both the House letter (pdf) and the Senate letter (pdf) asks the respective committees to keep in mind the need to improve access of life-saving, not just life-sustaining, medications emergency patients receive through EMS agencies before delays and disruptions in patient care become more widespread with adverse consequences.  While the drug shortages may be an urgent issue for hospitals and healthcare facilities, a crisis level has already been breached for EMS systems and the patients we serve. Legislation to address the drug shortage issue is expected to move through both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate HELP Committee during April.

IAFC Adopts Position Statement on National Drug Shortage

The IAFC Board of Directors has adopted a position statement on U.S.-wide trends of fire departments and EMS agencies experiencing critical shortages of drugs that are used to save the lives of patients that may be suffering from trauma or a medical emergency. The IAFC Position Statement on the National Drug Shortage (pdf) calls on the American fire service to make addressing the national drug shortage a top priority.

The position was brought forward to the IAFC leadership by the IAFC EMS Section following extensive research and discussions with local and national stakeholders.

“A solution must be found; paramedics must have the crucial and necessary drugs to save the lives of their patients,” said Chief Gary Ludwig, chair of the IAFC EMS Section.

Read the full news release and review the IAFC position statement (pdf) on the national drug shortage.

2012 EMS Section Election Update

The nomination period for running in the 2012 EMS Section executive board election closed on March 9. This year, the vice chair, secretary and director-at-large positions were open for nomination and election. The candidates for 2012 are as follows:

• Vice Chair: Chief David Becker (Ret.) – uncontested
• Secretary: Chief Mike Metro – uncontested
• Director-at-Large: Chief Norris Croom – uncontested

With no contested elections, the candidates will be installed during the EMS Section business meeting at Fire Rescue Med 2012.

Section Contributes to the National EMS Memorial Service 

“The EMS Section of the IAFC is honored to participate in this worthy cause and we support the mission of the National EMS Memorial Service because the death of any EMS professional in the performance of their duties is a tragic loss, and they should be recognized and honored,” said Deputy Chief Gary Ludwig, chair of the EMS Section. Read the full news release.

The IAFC EMS Section

• Is a forum that addresses fire service based-EMS issues.
• Provides guidance and direction to the IAFC board and membership on fire service EMS issues.
• Represents fire service-based EMS issues to the federal government and other interest groups.

The Section is one of the IAFC’s largest sections with over 1,300 members... More