| EMS would concentrate its resouces on improving emergency medical service at a national level |
The new EMS section of the NVFC will more effectively address the needs of the volunteer emergency medical services.
The Board of Directors for the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has voted to create a new EMS section of the Council. This new section would consist of members of the NVFC but would be its own separate group dedicated to representing the interests of the volunteer emergency medical services. The Chair of the EMS/Rescue Section will serve on the NVFC Executive Committee.
“This is a historic decision for the Council,” said NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “EMS has long been an integral part of the NVFC’s mission, and this new section will give the emergency medical services an even stronger voice on the national level as well as within the Council.”
Although the organization has always represented the entire volunteer emergency service community, the NVFC formally incorporated EMS into its mission and strategic plan in 1992. The NVFC Board has an EMS Committee that focuses on issues pertaining to the emergency medical services. The Chair of the EMS Committee, Ken Knipper, as well as a representative from the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) hold positions on the NVFC Executive Committee. In addition, Knipper is the Chair of the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) EMS Committee and the NVFC has representation on the NFPA’s new Ambulance Committee.
All of the NVFC’s programs and initiatives are designed to benefit and support both the fire and emergency medical services. In addition, the NVFC has also released many EMS-specific resources, including the EMS Cost Savings Calculator and an EMS-designated section of the web site at www.nvfc.org/ems. The NVFC is also actively involved in many national committees, meetings, work groups, and partnerships regarding EMS.
The new EMS section of the NVFC expands upon all of these efforts by more thoroughly incorporating the voice of EMS into the Council. “The field of EMS is going through a period of significant changes, and what we do now will benefit the next generations,” said Knipper. “We are working towards the future of EMS. Through the new EMS section of the NVFC, the Council will more effectively address the needs of the volunteer emergency medical services.”