By The National Volunteer Fire Council
National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg spoke at the National Association of Emergency Medical Technician’s (NAEMT) annual meeting in Las Vegas, NV, on October 14. NAEMT also presented Stittleburg with an appreciation award for the NVFC’s efforts to foster a collaborative relationship with EMS for the betterment of America’s communities.
“EMS is an important part of the NVFC and we have been making great strides in expanding our initiatives to fully incorporate volunteer emergency medical providers,” said NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “Our mission is to provide a unified voice for the volunteer emergency services, and that includes all volunteer first responders, whether firefighters, EMTs, or those cross-trained as both. Our partnership with NAEMT serves to strengthen the progress both organizations are making towards our mutual goals.”
The NVFC and NAMET are working together to further collaboration and information-sharing on issues of mutual interest. The organizations signed a Memorandum of Agreement in September 2006 to establish a framework of cooperation between the two groups and to foster a partnership to allow for direct action on common ground solutions on fire, EMS, and homeland security matters. In April 2008, Jerry Johnston, President of NAEMT, was sworn in as a member of the NVFC Executive Committee, along with NVFC’s EMS Committee Chair Ken Knipper, to more thoroughly incorporate EMS into the organization’s leadership.
During his presentation, Stittleburg updated the NAEMT Board about the recent accomplishments the NVFC has made in the area of EMS. These include:
• Creation of the EMS Cost Savings Calculator to help volunteer EMS departments communicate the value of the services they provide to their local policy makers.
• Working through the Fire Service-Based EMS Advocates to create a DVD and contribute to a White Paper promoting fire service-based EMS. The NVFC is a member of the steering Committee of the Fire Service-Based EMS Advocates.
• Working with the Advocates for EMS on first responder notification protections in the Ryan White Act. The NVFC is a member of the Advocates for EMS and has a representative on its Board.
• Leading the fight to pass the Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act, which prohibits the federal government from taxing property tax benefits and up to $360 per year of any other type of benefit provided to volunteer firefighters and EMTs by state or local units of government.
• Creating a Government Relations Associate position in the NVFC staff to focus on EMS issues.
• Representation on numerous stakeholder groups dealing with various aspects of EMS on the federal level.
To learn more about the NVFC and its efforts in the area of EMS, visit www.nvfc.org/ems.
NAEMT is the national membership association for EMS practitioners, including Paramedics, EMTs, First Responders, and other professionals working in prehospital emergency medicine. The organization has taken a leadership role in the EMS community with a focus on advocacy, education, and research. Learn more atwww.naemt.org.