EMS Sustaining Human Resources
Overview
As expectations and demands increase on EMS providers, so does the difficulty of recruiting and retaining them. Many volunteer systems serving rural areas provide little in the way of compensation or benefits. The problem of maintaining adequate staffing is exacerbated by increased risk from dangerous exposures, perceptions of increased personal liability, lack of leadership, inadequate physician participation, limited funding for training, equipment and supplies. Many of these problems lead to frequent turnover or marginal performance. When local physicians are present, they often lack the training, interest or incentives, including compensation, to participate actively as EMS medical directors. This section of the toolkit will focus on recruiting, retaining and training EMS personnel and assuring adequate medical oversight and accountability.
Medical Direction & Oversight
Duties, Authority, & Responsibility
- Guide for Preparing Medical Directors
- Medical Direction of Emergency Medical Services
- Physician Medical Direction in EMS, Position Paper NAEMSP
- Physician Medical Direction of EMS Education Programs: Policy Resources and Education Paper, NAEMSP Position Paper
- Medical Direction of Interfacility Transportrs, Position Paper NAEMSP
- Medical Director for Air Medical Transport Program, Position Paper NAEMSP
- State of Wisconsin EMS Medical Director Resources
Medical Director Continuing Education
- American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
- American College of Surgeons (ACS)
- National Association EMS Physicians (NAEMSP)
- Wisconsin Chapter American College of Emergency Physicians
EMS Personnel
Recruitment & Retention
- EMS Recruitment and Retention Manual, FEMA and USFA
- EMS Workforce for the 21st Century Project: A National Assessment
- Quality Through Collaboration: The Future of Rural & Frontier EMS in the U.S. Health System. Strengthening Human Resources
- Retention and Recruitment for the Volunteer Emergency Services: Challenges and Solutions, USFA
- State of Virginia Recruitment Program
- Volunteer EMS Recruitment Basics
- Wisconsin Length of Service Award Program (LOSA)
Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)
CISM Resources
- Critical Incident Stress Management Team, Gundersen Lutheran Hospital, WI
- CISM of Wisconsin Team Directory
- International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
- Nebraska HHS Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Program
Training & Education
EMS Training Opportunities
- Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS)
- National Association of EMTs (NAEMT)
- Paramedic Systems of Wisconsin (PSOW)
- WI DHS Train Wisconsin
- WI EMS Association (WEMSA) Events & Training
- Wisconsin EMS Training Curricula
- Wisconsin Technical College System (EMS)
