Role of Emergency Medical Services in Disaster Response - National Association of EMS Physicians Position Statement

Abstract

This is the official position statement of the National Association of EMS Physicians on the role of emergency medical services (EMS) in disaster response.

Key words:

• National Association of EMS Physicians
• EMS
• disaster
• response
• preparedness

Position Statement

Approved by NAEMSP Board of Directors on March 26, 2021.

The National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians (NAEMSP) believes that:

1. Within a defined community, the local emergency medical services (EMS) authority should have a lead role in the medical aspects of disaster response and collaborate with other appropriate agencies in a unified command structure as determined by the specific disaster.

2. EMS clinicians should participate in the four phases of disaster management for a defined community (mitigation, planning, response, and recovery).

3. EMS clinicians are uniquely positioned to respond to disasters and work within an incident command system (ICS). Therefore, EMS clinicians should be utilized in disaster response at a local level as part of an integrated community approach, and on a regional and national level to augment staffing shortages and create capacity for surge.

4. EMS clinicians should be encouraged to work together and/or participate with support teams such as community emergency response teams (CERTs), medical reserve corps (MRCs), and disaster medical assistance teams (DMATs).

5. EMS physicians and medical directors have a wide breadth of clinical, technical, operational, and policy knowledge that makes them ideal to formally serve in various incident command roles in a disaster. Examples include content expert (technical specialist, planning), clinician (operations), and workforce health and protection (operations, logistics, safety).

6. EMS administrators and physicians should plan to address the following issues in anticipation of EMS workforce participation in disaster response: licensure, worker protection, liability protection, surge capacity, documentation, stress management, and specific education on disaster management and response.

7. The public and private sector should collaborate to develop standardized, universal liability and workers compensation protections for EMS clinicians who serve as part of a state government-activated and recognized team deployed as part of an official mutual aid response to another state.