Abstract
This is the official position statement of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Officials on medical direction for operational emergency medical services (EMS) programs.
Position Statement
The National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Officials believe that:
Operational emergency medical services (EMS) programs, and the providers that work within them, often function in remote or austere conditions that require specialized skills, and therefore specialized medical direction. These programs, or the environments in which they operate, may include, but are not limited to, ski patrols, wilderness search-and-rescue teams, urban search-and-rescue teams, fast- or open-water rescue teams, tactical EMS supporting law-enforcement operations, fireground operations, and wildland fire crews.
Operational EMS programs should function within and not outside the mainstream health care system. Therefore, it is important that their constituent agencies and providers, regardless of the level of care provided or scope of practice, have a qualified medical director and that established standards of care are met.
An operational EMS medical director should have appropriate training, certification, and licensure; expertise in EMS systems; and expertise in the specific type of operation. Ideally, the medical director should be a fully qualified member of the operational EMS team.
Operational EMS providers should function within their defined scopes of practice, as established by their training and certification or licensure as applicable within the state in which they are functioning.
Operational EMS organizations should ensure that the medical director is provided with mutually agreed-upon compensation for services, availability and provision of necessary material and resources, and liability coverage for duties and actions performed.
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