In times of financial constraints, organizations often evaluate potential budget cuts to preserve their essential functions. Frequently, the conference and travel budget is among the first to be reduced. While this approach may be appropriate for certain sectors, I argue that it should be considered a lower priority for reduction within Emergency Medical Services (EMS), rather than a primary target. In the public sector, it is important to carefully examine conference and tra

IGEMSA EMS Administrative Summit 2026 Early Registration Discount of $75 Ends Tomorrow EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS TOMORROW Register now to save $75! Join Leaders from around the US representing government funded EMS delivery models that are non-profit and non-fire based. You do not have to be an IGEMSA member to attend.

Shane Wheeler, MBA, CEMSO, FP-C, CP-C, NRP Chief Executive Officer, VMSC EMS Elected officials are responsible for solving problems with limited resources. If the message they continually hear is that EMS is broken, unaffordable, or unsustainable, they will naturally begin looking at alternatives. Consolidation, regionalization, or privatization become part of the conversation, whether we intended that or not. Our responsibility as leaders is to frame the conversation differ

In earlier blog posts, I covered the general aspects of Emergency Medical Services within the 911 framework and the various delivery models employed to offer these services. In this post, I will explore the independent government-funded EMS delivery model in depth. The Independent Government EMS Alliance (IGEMSA) is nearing its first anniversary. This group was formed following discussions among non-fire-based and non-profit EMS delivery models that receive some level of tax

If you don't work in public safety, you might have come across these titles and wondered about their differences and how they are connected. Grasping these definitions is an important aspect of deciding the type of care you offer to your citizens. Emergency Medical Services or EMS is the term used when we are referring to the response that occurs when someone calls 911 for medical assistance. EMS is the title most commonly known for ambulance crews and falls in line with othe

At some point, most government and elected officials will need to make decisions regarding EMS schedules as part of their duties. It is crucial to have a basic understanding of the different types of scheduling and their effects on provider safety, budgets, and employee satisfaction. IGEMSA.org I wish there were an easy answer to determine the optimal schedule for EMS providers. However, just as delivery models vary based on a community's needs, the options for staffing ambul

IGEMSA Board Advisory Member John Sammons most recent blog entry When you hear patient centered care, what comes to mind? Or being “progressive”? Being a high speed, low drag EMS system? Typically, we think of the sexy, cool skills and things we get to do. Running lights and sirens, doing all the high acuity stuff, cardiac arrests, traumas, STEMIs, giving whole blood, prehospital ultrasound, antibiotics and all the cutting-edge things. All of those things are important, and l