VAGEMSA's position statements represent the consensus decisions of our voting membership and are used in our legislative and statewide committee work. If you have a specific question regarding these position statements or wish to suggest other strategic issues for VAGEMSA consideration, please contact our leadership through this web site.

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Links to Position Statements by Title

EMS Funding 11/01

Terrorism and WMD Funding 11/01

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Virginia Association of Governmental EMS Administrators

VAGEMSA

November, 2001

Position Paper on EMS System Funding

While Virginia’s first responders - EMS providers, local fire fighters, law enforcement officers, hospital workers, public health officials, and emergency managers continue on the front line of protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth, the stakes and risks have never been higher. September 11 truly changed our lives in a multitude of ways, many of which our members never imagined. VAGEMSA supports the need for immediate action to substantially improve funding for Virginia’s EMS System to meet the needs our citizens expect and demand.

 

For more than 10 years, the funding level for the Emergency Medical Services system has remained essentially unchanged. All of the stakeholders have talked, studied, debated, evaluated, documented, validated and used a number of administrative and legislative means to deliver the message that the funding of EMS in Virginia is grossly inadequate. The response to date has been minimal at best. VAGEMSA is compelled to send a clear and concerted message that EMS in the Commonwealth of Virginia needs additional public funding support.   Even prior to September 11, 2001, these specific needs included:

 

·        Upgrading and maintaining equipment, supplies, facilities and response vehicles;

·        Improving the availability, quality, and instructor pool to ensure all new and experienced providers meet the continuously changing training standards;

·        Improving electronic mediums needed to keep citizens and providers informed;

·        Providing a communication network that allows all agencies in the system to transmit and receive critical information;

·        Ensuring that administrative and support functions are adequate to meet the needs in a timely and responsible fashion.

 

With the events of 9-11 coupled with the ever-evolving environment, much has changed for Virginia’s first responders. We continue to struggle every day to answer the increasing number of requests for services in many of our localities with the addition of the newest threats posed by terrorism.

 

It is VAGEMSA’s plea that the executive and legislative branches of the Commonwealth of Virginia join in partnership with the 816 licensed EMS agencies and their 32, 748 certified providers to immediately and adequately address the funding crises. We are specifically requesting that the original EMS Funding Task Force Report recommendations, commissioned by the Governor, be adopted. In addition, we strongly support the options of general operating budget funding for EMS and/or the increase of the $2-for-Life license plate fee to $4.00-for-Life. Additional funds will also be needed to assure the appropriate level of local preparedness in response to the terrorism/homeland defense threat assessments currently underway by local, state and federal authorities.     

Virginia Association of Governmental EMS Administrators

VAGEMSA

November, 2001

Position Paper on Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction Funding and Support For Virginia’s First Responders

Virginia’s Governmental Emergency Medical Services Administrators (VAGEMSA) appreciate the concern and offers of support which have been voiced from Virginia’s elected and executive officials since United States Citizens once again became the victims of terrorism on September 11^th.  We share your concerns and commit to making safe and effective systematic improvements for our emergency response and patient care system to address the specific needs of this deadly threat called terrorism.  We provide the following recommendations on a number of key issues surrounding the ability of the Commonwealth’s EMS Providers to effectively respond to the consequences of acts of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. 

 

Legislation Needs: 

·         Regional Terrorism Response Plan Security – Protection from FOIA Requests

·         Additions to Disaster Laws allowing: A) temporary suspension of Pharmacy Regulations to allow mass distribution of Medications to populations.  B) Emergency credentialing of medical and allied health providers, out-of-state first responders – Emergency Medical, Fire and Law Enforcement

 Specific Funding Needs:

·         Seamless interoperable communications between regions and responding agencies.

·         Additional personal protective clothing and equipment, including respiratory protection and the required training in their appropriate use for all of Virginia’s First Responders.

·         Additional field monitoring and detection equipment for biological, chemical and hazardous materials agents.

·         Additional Terrorism/Weapons of Mass Destruction and command and control training and continuing education for all responders and health care providers.

·         Additional field and hospital based patient decontamination equipment.

·         Additional mobile command units and equipment

·         Additional mobile mass casualty incident management supply caches, mass care equipment and supplies.

·         Coordinated interdisciplinary awareness, operations, technician, and management training in incident command/unified command, mass casualty incident management and weapons of mass destruction incident management.

 

VAGEMSA strongly supports a systematic and all hazards (structured, multidisciplinary, and coordinated) approach to responding to the consequences of terrorist incidents. This is especially true as we face the growing possibility that terrorists may deploy one or more types of weapons against a single or multiple targets, with some specifically targeting first responders.