Spent two days at the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda with 120 others, participating in the NATIONAL EMS & 9-1-1 STAKEHOLDERS MEETING (earlier post)
The goal of the meeting:
… the FICEMS leadership will present a brief overview of current Federal EMS and 9-1-1 related activities, respond to questions and listen to the opinions and ideas of national organizations and interested individuals about national EMS priorities and future directions. We propose the meeting as one way to improve communications between EMS stakeholders and Federal agencies. The meeting summary will be provided to FICEMS and to the National EMS Advisory Council. (link here)
SILOS, SPECIALISTS AND TURF
FICEMS is the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS. Inaugural meeting December 8, 2006. FICEMS is charged with coordinating Federal Emergency Medical Services (EMS) efforts for the purposes of identifying State and local EMS needs, recommending new or expanded programs for improving EMS at all levels, and streamlining the process through which Federal agencies support EMS.
FICEMS members are high-level federal officials (and one state ems director) that meets twice a year. A Technical Working Group (TWG) is comprised of mid-level managers and technical experts that meets quarterly.
One of the TWG assignments is to Examining the recommendations of the 2006 Institute of Medicine report: The Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System
See the unofficial minutes of the first FICEMS meeting HERE .
Read Mannie Garza’s report “FICEMS Gets Down to Work” from the August 2007 issue of EMS Insider (HERE). Six committees formed and action plans detailed.
NEMSAC is the National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC). Formed in April 2007 as a nationally recognized council of EMS representatives and consumers to provide advice and recommendations regarding EMS to NHTSA.
The NEMSAC provides a forum for the development, consideration, and communication of information from a knowledgeable and independent perspective of a strategy for advancing EMS systems nationwide.
The inaugural group received a two year appointment. They were very productive, check out their website (HERE). Their final activity was producing the December 2009 report EMS Makes A Difference: Improved clinical outcomes and downstream healthcare savings. You can download a copy of the 34 page .pdf item (HERE)
The process for re-appointments to NEMSAC has been delayed, so the Council is temporarily inactive.
LISTENING TO OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS

After a morning orientation, the participants were asked to brainstorm in four general areas of ems. My group was covering technology. We were asked to write as many idea “nuggets” as we could within our area, at least three to five.
Idea “nuggets” were posted, discussed and grouped into “buckets.” Some issues were mentioned by many participants.
The afternoon of day one was reporting out of each group on what buckets (themes) developed. There were 60 some themes posted.
The last day one activity was a “silent auction” where every participant listed eight of the themes that they wanted to explore on day two.
HOW TO RESOLVE, IMPLEMENT OR ACHIEVE A THEME
Day two the results of the silent auction were revealed. The four groups were provided with three themes. They were asked to develop recommendations that would address the theme.
My group looked at:
- How to implement the vision for the next generation of EMS
- National Responder Database
- EMS Academy
Vigorous discussions, real-life examples and issues. The focus was on what to recommend FICEMS and NEMSA. Some wrestling with what is ideal versus what is probably achievable within the federal government.
NO CONSENSUS, NO ADVISING, JUST TALK
Congress established the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) in 1972. Amended in 2009, it establishes a specific process for federal advisory committees. This link takes you to a 29 page overview from the Congressional Research Service, written by Wendy R. Ginsberg in 2009 (HERE).
What this means is that NEMSA is a FACA-compliant advisory committee to NHTSA. The two day workshop was NOT functioning as an advisory committee.
More like a listening session. A way to see if the issues important to the federal government are the same issues important to the interested individuals and organizations.
The results will be sent to FICEMS and, when re-established, NEMSAC.
Not sure what the impact will be to the federal advisory process. I got as much of the side discussions between the work sessions.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward






It was hard finishing the article because I was seeing the Twitter “Whale Fail” when checking for updates.
TO FAT TO FLY?

A couple of the responses to December’s confrontation at Task Force 1 included a reference to the HBO series “
On June 26, 1975, New York City notified 40,000 city employees that they would be laid off on July 1, the first day of Fiscal Year 1976. That included 1,600 FDNY employees.





University paramedic students were riding DCFD medic units and emt students riding ambulances.
In the first draft, only paramedics employed by DCFEMS could teach. The second draft was better, but required educators to be affiliated with a DC-based ems provider. Most of our clinical instructors work as Maryland or Virginia caregivers.

Don’t get dressed up, come as you are, and let’s have a spirited conversation about why EMS people make such crappy money for doing what we do. I’ve got enough ideas on this topic to carry me through a few evenings of my wooden “free drink” nickels and I’d love to share some brutally honest conversation with the EMS folks in my audience that I think can make a difference in the quality of life for those who save lives. We need to, we have to, and we deserve to.
At the 8:10 line-up the crew was in more presentable shape, almost all of them purposely put mud on their shoes. A direct challenge to the Korea marine vet who has a “spit and polish” reputation. (
That means there was a third staffed pumper assigned to the task force.




















































To “FD” or Not “FD,” – Politicians Puzzled
CommentsTHE SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA, CITY COUNCIL is considering a brainstorm presented by their City Manager Mark Weiss. He thinks that the cash-strapped city could save $3 million to 5.5 million if they shut down the police department and the fire department and contracted other agencies to provide the emergency services.
His plan calls for contracting with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s office to patrol the streets and answer calls, and making an agreement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire, to come in and answer fire calls.
According to THIS ARTICLE in the San Jose Mercury-News, Weiss said he prefers the outsourcing plan because the city needs to “do something bolder” than what they have been doing for the past several years. His alternative proposal to the “outsourcing” is to save the money by, among other tricks, closing the city’s Youth Center and discontinue televising the City Council meetings. (We are not making this up…Ed.) The article does not say whether Weiss has gotten any pre-approval from either the Sheriff’s Dept. or CalFire for this scheme.
Firegeezer is of the opinion that the good citizens of San Carlos are in real trouble when their city is being run by somebody who thinks that running a “youth center” is more important than running a police station. When you think that televising the city council public meetings is more valuable than sending out a fire engine to handle an emergency, then you have completely lost touch with reality.
“If we adopt this, if we totally outsource departments, it will dramatically affect how we do business,” Weiss said. (At least he’s got that part right….Ed.)
The San Mateo Daily Journal has MORE.
San Carlos Fire Department WEBSITE.
* * * * *
IN VIGO COUNTY, INDIANA, NEVINS TOWNSHIP Trustee Carl Gregory arbitrarily shut down the town’s volunteer fire department last Monday March 1 after he became upset with some administrative shortcomings of the VFD.
Gregory donned his best coveralls for this interview with WISH-TV last week:
But the township leaders have had second-thoughts on such a drastic reaction to the lack of a few reports and rapidly called a meeting of all the involved parties to settle the dispute. Work has commenced at the firehouse to satisfy some requirements and the volunteers are expecting to return to answering alarms in a few days.
WTHI-TV Ch. 10 filed this video update last night:
d