A new national EMS assessment report provides the first ever comprehensive description of emergency medical services, EMS emergency preparedness and 911 systems at state and national levels using existing data sources.

The Federal Interagency Committee for Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS) has released the 2011 National EMS Assessment, downloadable here. The report is sponsored by FICEMS and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Members of the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) contributed a significant amount of data to make the assessment possible. The National EMS Assessment, which was completed over a 24-month period from September 2009 to August 2011, provides a detailed description of the nation’s EMS systems, which comprise an estimated 19,971 local EMS agencies, their 81,295 vehicles and 826,111 licensed and credentialed personnel.

The landmark document is a powerful resource and the first national assessment of EMS that provides comprehensive data aggregated at both the state and national levels. The data will allow the officials responsible for improving EMS systems to benchmark current and future performance and identify areas of strength and weakness.