October 15, Table of Contents

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October 15, 2007 Table of Contents 1. NHTSA Releases National Education Standards for Review 2. National Response Framework Review Deadline Extended to Oct. 22 3. Robert Bass Receives ACEP Award 4.

1 October 15, 2007 Table of Contents 1. NHTSA Releases National Education Standards for Review 2. National Response Framework Review Deadline Extended to Oct Robert Bass Receives ACEP Award 4. TOPOFF 4 Runs from Oct NASEMSO Issues 2007 Annual Report 6. NASEMSO Supports Vision for a Healthier America 7. CATC Sends Letter to Appropriators on Trauma-EMS Programs 8. New Study Indicates that U.S. Emergency Services Are Not Prepared to Care for Children in Disaster 9. ANA Altered Standard of Care Policy Document Available for Review 10. AHA Announces New Education Platform 11. AHA Releases New Airway Management Course Materials 12. National Preparedness Month a Success 13. New NEMSIS TAC Project Manager Named 14. DHS Adopts 11 NFPA Standards for Emergency Responders 15. National Strategy for Homeland Security Updated 16. EMSC National Resources Center Announces Two Open Positions 17. NHTSA Releases Summer Issue of EMS Update 18. MN State EMS Director Mary Hedges Mother Passes Away 19. Upcoming Events 1. NHTSA Releases National Education Standards for Review The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau s Emergency Medical Services for Children Program have released the second draft of the National EMS Education Standards for the emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician, and paramedic levels for EMS community review and comment. The development of the National EMS Education Standards is an important step toward implementing the vision outlined in the EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach. The standards eventually will replace the current U.S. Department of Transportation s National Standard Curricula. To review the second draft of the Education Standards and Instructional Guidelines, visit Comments are being accepted until Feb. 8, National Response Framework Review Deadline Extended to Oct. 22 On Oct. 9, 2007, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that the deadline for public comment for the draft of the National Response Framework (NRF) has been extended to Oct. 22, The NRF will replace the current National Response Plan that was released in To read the DHS press release, visit

2 3. Robert Bass Receives ACEP Award During the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Scientific Assembly held Oct. 8-9, 2007, in Seattle, Dr. Robert Bass, immediate past president of NASEMSO and director of emergency medical services, MIEMSS, was presented the Outstanding Contribution in EMS Award. ACEP is a national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine with more than 25,000 members. NASEMSO congratulates Dr. Bass. 4. TOPOFF 4 Runs from Oct Top Officials 4 (TOPOFF 4) is the premier U.S. terrorism preparedness exercise, involving top officials at every level of government, as well as representatives from the international community and private sector. The exercise is taking place from Oct. 15 through Oct. 19 and will feature thousands of federal, state, territorial and local officials. These officials will engage in various activities as part of a robust, fullscale simulated response to a multi-faceted threat. For more information, visit 5. NASEMSO Issues 2007 Annual Report The National Association of EMS Officials (NASEMSO) has released its 2007 Annual Report. The report provides highlights of association activities from July 2006 through June It may be downloaded at 6. NASEMSO Supports Vision for a Healthier America In August, NASEMSO signed onto the Vision for a Healthier America that Trust for America s Health (TFAH) drafted in partnership with several dozen national public health organizations. On Oct. 2, the most up-to-date version, with 105 signatories, together with a cover letter, was delivered to all members of Congress. This document is being shared with other policy makers and may be downloaded at 7. CATC Sends Letter to Appropriators on Trauma-EMS Programs During the first week in October, the Coalition for American Trauma Care sent a letter signed by a broad array of trauma-interested organizations (including NASEMSO) to key appropriators in the House and Senate, urging them to provide the highest possible funding level for trauma-ems programs such as the Children s EMS program, traumatic brain injury activities, and the Center for Injury Control and Prevention at CDC. The letter also expressed disappointment that no funding was provided to reestablish the trauma systems program at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). For more information, contact CATC Executive Director Marcia Mabee, MPH, Ph.D., at mmabee@ix.netcom.com. 8. New Study Indicates that U.S. Emergency Services Are Not Prepared to Care for Children in Disaster A study published in the October issue of Pediatrics highlights the need for improved disaster planning. A recent survey of licensed U.S. prehospital EMS agencies revealed that most significantly are unprepared to appropriately care for pediatric patients in disaster. In the study, Prehospital Preparedness for Pediatric Mass-Casualty Events, researchers surveyed 1,932 EMS agencies. While most agencies (72.9 percent) reported having a written response plan for mass-casualty events, only 13.3 percent included pediatric-specific procedures. Most (69 percent) did not have a specific plan for responding to a mass-casualty event at a school, and only 19.2 percent had pediatric triage protocol. Finally, while nearly 70 percent of the agencies reported participation in a regional disaster drill during the past year, less than half of the drills included pediatric victims. The study authors recommend childspecific disaster planning throughout the United States. To read the full text, visit

3 9. ANA Altered Standard of Care Policy Document Available for Review The American Nurses Association (ANA) has made a document regarding adapting standards of care during major natural or manmade disasters open for public comment until Oct. 24, The document, Adapting Standards of Care under Altered Conditions, discusses the sometimes difficult decisions registered nurses and other health professionals must make about patient care during disasters that may differ from the established scopes and standards of care, professional ethics and other legal and regulatory frameworks that are applied in non-emergency situations. To read more about the document, access a link to the draft and submit your comments, visit CareunderAlteredConditions.aspx. 10. AHA Announces New Education Platform The American Heart Association has announced a new educational platform at Items of interest to EMS practitioners, include a stroke prehospital care module, learn rhythm module, HeartCode BLS Anywhere, BLS HCP Online Renewal, First Aid Online, First Aid with CPR and AED renewal. 11. AHA Releases New Airway Management Course Materials The Airway Management Course includes five individual modules that can be taught together as a course or used as add-ons to a BLS for Healthcare Providers or an ACLS course. Modules are designed for facilitator-led, small-group interaction, using video and small-group skills-testing stations. Teaching all modules will take about four hours. Additional information is available at National Preparedness Month a Success The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Oct. 5, 2007, that a record number of national, regional, state and local organizations (including NASEMSO) participated in the 2007 National Preparedness Month, reaching a broad audience of individuals, families and communities with the message of emergency preparedness. To read the DHS press release, visit New NEMSIS TAC Project Manager Named The NEMSIS Technical Assistance Center (TAC) has announced that David Owens is the new NEMSIS TAC project manager. Owens retired as the deputy chief of medical operations for a municipal fire department in Utah after 27 years of service. He also was an instructor at the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy and recently returned from service in Kalsu, Iraq, where he responded to fire and medical emergencies on military bases. As the NEMSIS TAC project manager, Owens primarily will be working with states to become NEMSIS compliant and submit data to the National EMS Database. Owens may be contacted by phone at (801) or via at david.owens@hsc.utah.edu. 14. DHS Adopts 11 NFPA Standards for Emergency Responders The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Sept. 19, 2007, announced the adoption of 11 NFPA standards for emergency responders by DHS. The newly adopted standards will set requirements to assist federal agencies and state and local officials responsible for procuring equipment and services used by emergency responders. The documents adopted will provide direction and allow officials to make better procurement decisions in the following areas: professional qualifications, occupational safety and health, fire apparatus, personal protective clothing, powered rescue tools, and other equipment. For more information, visit

4 15. National Strategy for Homeland Security Updated On Oct. 5, 2007, President George W. Bush announced and issued the updated National Strategy for Homeland Security. This strategy is an update from the first National Strategy for Homeland Security that was issued in July 2002 and is designed to guide, organize and unify homeland security efforts among federal, state, local and tribal governments, private and nonprofit sector partners, and individuals. The updated strategy focuses on protecting against and disrupting terror attacks, protecting citizens and critical infrastructure and responding to incidents and incorporates lessons learned from actual disasters and exercises. To learn more and read an overview of the strategy, visit To access the full strategy, visit EMSC National Resource Center Announces Two Open Positions The EMSC National Resource Center (NRC) has two open positions. They are seeking to fill the openings with intelligent, enthusiastic, motivated individuals who want to make a difference in the field of emergency medical services for children. The open positions are program manager and resource specialist. The program manager works with the NRC director to manage staff, manage aspects of NRC operations and respond to the needs of grantees and the federal project officer. The resource specialist works to manage the products and resources from the EMSC program grantees. For more information on the positions or to apply, contact Tasmeen Singh at tsignh@emscnrc.com. 17. NHTSA Releases Summer Issue of EMS Update The latest issue of EMS Update recently was posted on the NHTSA Web site. To access it, visit and select EMS.gov above the Quick Clicks. The summer 2007 issue is under the header EMS Update Newsletter. This issue provides reports on the first and second Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS) meetings. Also in this issue are articles about the National EMS Advisory Council, next generation 9-1-1, NEMSIS, pandemic flu, and the EMS Workforce for the 21 st Century project. 18. MN State EMS Director Mary Hedges Mother Passes Away Mary Helen O Conor Hedges, 86, the mother of Minnesota State EMS Director Mary Hedges, passed away on Oct. 2, 2007 in Spencer, W.Va., after an extended illness. She was the mother of nine children. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Oct. 5 at the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. The family requested memorial donations to the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church or Roane General Hospital in Spencer, W.Va. Condolences may be sent to Mary Hedges, Executive Director, MN EMS Regulatory board, 2829 University Ave., SE, Suite 310, Minneapolis, MN Upcoming Events (*denotes event is newly added) NASEMSO Annual Meeting, October 28-November 2, 2007, Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN. Information is available at th APHA Annual Meeting, November 3-7, 2007, Washington, DC. Information is available at Quality of Health Information on the Internet: 10 Years On, a Health Improvement Institute Workshop, November 12, 2007, Hyatt Regency Bethesda, MD. Information is available at International Association of Emergency Managers 55 th Annual Conference & EMEX 2007, November 17-19, 2007, The Silver Legacy, Reno, NV. Information is available at

5 Prehospital Pediatric Education Symposium, November 27-28, 2007, Orlando, FL. Information is available at NAEMSP Annual Meeting, January 10-12, 2008, Pointe Hilton at Squaw Peak Resort, Phoenix, AZ. Information is available at 12 th International Conference on Emergency Medicine, April 3-6, 2008, San Francisco, CA. Information is available at NASEMSO Staff Contacts Elizabeth B. Armstrong, CAE, MAM / Executive Director (703) ext. 7 - armstrong@nasemso.org Melissa M. Trumbull / Program Manager (703) ext. 3 - trumbull@nasemso.org Sharon Kelly / Executive Assistant (703) ext. 2 - kelly@nasemso.org Dawn M. Shiley-Danzeisen / Washington Update Editor (703) ext. 3 - dshiley@asmii.net Karen Thompson / Web Site Content Manager (703) thompson@nasemso.org 201 Park Washington Court Falls Church VA Phone: (703) Fax: (703) Website: The Washington Update is supported by a cooperative agreement between NASEMSO and NHTSA s EMS Division. Feel free to share this publication with your colleagues. NASEMSO Washington Update is published two times a month by for association members and partners. Comments should be directed to the editor, Dawn M. Shiley at dshiley@asmii.net. Cordially, Dawn M. Shiley-Danzeisen Marketing & Communications Director NASEMSO 201 Park Washington Court Falls Church, VA Phone: Fax: dshiley@asmii.net Website:

Washington Update February 15, 2005

Washington Update February 15, 2005 Table of Contents 1. Administration s FY 2006 Budget Cuts PHHS Block Grant and Other Programs 2. Draft Acute Injury Care Research Agenda Available for Comment by March