[From NREMT]
23 MARCH 2020 – COVID-19 Response Update
National EMS Community,
The National Registry is committed to supporting your vital work in the community by ensuring continued operation of the certification process to ensure a qualified EMS workforce. While circumstances remain dynamic, we will provide updates as information becomes available. Test centers will begin limited reopening for essential healthcare personnel, including EMS providers. Regarding the psychomotor examination, the National Registry will be offering a provisional certification that defers the psychomotor exam until conditions stabilize.
Cognitive Exam Update
Preserving the pipeline of EMS personnel during the pandemic is essential, and vital to public health.
Therefore, on Wednesday, March 25, some Pearson VUE Professional Centers (PPCs) across the nation will re-open for the testing of essential healthcare personnel, including EMS providers. Appointments at these centers will be available on a first come, first served basis. More appointments and availability will be available as soon as possible. More information about Pearson VUE’s testing for EMS personnel during the pandemic is available on Pearson VUE’s website (
https://home.pearsonvue.com/nremt/essential-services).
In addition to the PPCs, we are working with state and local officials to re-open Pearson VUE Testing Centers (PVTCs) strictly for the testing of essential healthcare personnel, including EMS providers. As a reminder, some PVTCs are currently open and operational. The National Registry is also aggressively pursuing the option of offering cognitive examinations through newly available Remote Proctoring technology, with more information on that in the coming weeks.
Psychomotor Examinations
Conducting psychomotor examinations, while adhering to national Public Health guidelines, is generally not achievable nor recommended. Therefore, last week the National Registry’s Board created a new
Provisional Certification.
Provisional Certifications will be automatically assigned to any candidate that (1) completes an educational program at the EMR, EMT, AEMT or Paramedic level and (2) successfully passes the National Registry's cognitive examination. The requirement for completing the psychomotor examination is suspended for the duration of the national emergency or until psychomotor examinations can be safely reinstated in the United States.
National Registry Continues Operations with Remote Work
On Sunday afternoon, the State of Ohio issued a Stay at Home Order effective 11:59 p.m. on March 23, 2020, until 11:59 p.m. on April 6, 2020. This order (like many other state orders across the nation) identifies certain organizations, businesses, and operational functions as essential, and therefore are exempt. Although the National Registry of EMTs is designated an essential organization – and a vital component of maintaining the national EMS system – last week we implemented extraordinary measures to shift 90% of our staff to remote work.
As a result, the National Registry is operational and we will continue fulfilling our duty and responsibilities to the National EMS System, while also maintaining our commitment to employee safety and our shared responsibility to ‘flatten the curve’. Our workforce is leveraging technology to complete work from home and will continue to do so. Staff working in our office are following the CDC’s recommendations and guidance provided by our local authorities.
Continued Monitoring We will continue to monitor the evolving situation and will make adjustments as needed to support the pandemic response efforts, while also ensuring the long-term sustainability and viability of the Nation’s Emergency Medical Services system.
To all those truly on the front lines of this response, THANK YOU. Please stay safe and healthy.