DHS Funding Lapsed; Congress Out of Session This Week
Funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lapsed at the end of last week. The National Fire Academy is closed on a week-by-week basis, and other Federal Emergency Management Agency programs are operating at limited capacity. There was little progress on reopening the DHS this week, because the House and Senate were out of session. The IAFC will continue to keep its members up to date as the situation unfolds.
Drug Enforcement Agency Releases New Controlled Substances Rules for EMS
On February 5, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) published the final rule implementing the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-83). The rule lays out procedures for EMS agencies to register, carry, and store controlled substances. Members are encouraged to review the IAFC Blog Post by Chief Kevin Joles, Chair of the IAFC EMS Section, covering the new rule and what fire chiefs need to know and do now.