Seats are still available in EMS Program classes at the National Fire Academy. For the latest schedules and application information, please visit the website at www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa.

The 2008 Reauthorization of the U.S. Fire Administration added “advanced emergency medical services training” to the list of topics that the National Fire Academy shall provide. Since that time, the National Fire Academy has evaluated the EMS courses that already existed, gathered input from across the Nation, and began developing new courses. Recently the following courses have become available.

R0147/R0847 – Emergency Medical Services Incident Operations (EMSIO) is specifically designed to meet the needs of responders managing the medical portions of a medium- to large-scale incident. EMSIO provides students the opportunity to apply ICS organizational structure, resource management, patient tracking, and documentation skills to mass casualty scenarios including planes, trains, buses, stadiums, hazardous materials, active shooters, environmental and natural disasters.

R0158 – Emergency Medical Services Quality Management (EMSQM) provides the background and principles associated with implementing a departmental Quality Management program. Through the use of internal data collection and analysis, students practice with examples and develop a specific process improvement program for their own agency.

R0139 – Hot Topics Research for Emergency Medical Services (HTREMS) is the counterpart to EMSQM in the effort to identify, promote, and embrace evidence based change decisions. HTREMS presents the process effective collection and presentation of data through the use of a wide variety of research resources. Students will prepare a persuasive justification for a topic pertinent to their agency.

F0166/W0166 – Emergency Medical Services Functions in the Incident Command System (EMSFICS) is a two-day course also designed to meet the needs of responders managing the medical portions of a medium- to large-scale incident. Through tabletop exercises, students apply ICS skills to the medical components of mass casualty incidents including structure fires, wildland fires, mass gathering special events, active shooters, hazardous materials, and medical facility evacuations. (This course is available off-campus, coordinated through State fire training agencies.)