Registration has begun for the fourth annual EMS on the Hill Day, hosted by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT). The 2013 event takes place on March 5—6, 2012, in Washington, D.C. In order for appointments to be scheduled with congressional leaders, participants must register by February 15, 2013.
EMS on the Hill Day is the nation’s only national EMS advocacy event, providing professionals from all sectors of the emergency medical community the opportunity to advocate for specific EMS legislation. According to NAEMT Executive Director Pamela Lane, EMS on the Hill Day sends a consistent message to elected leaders regarding critical issues facing EMS throughout the nation and builds important relationships with Senate and House leaders and their staff.
Meeting with Congressional leaders also has a direct effect on individual EMS agencies and practitioners. “The more [legislators] in Washington understand the challenges to providing quality EMS, the greater the possibility that they will craft policies that address those challenges,” Lane says.
This past year, nearly 200 EMS practitioners from 42 states and the District of Columbia attended 246 meetings with U.S. Senators, House representatives, and their congressional staff to advocate for EMS issues.
This year, EMS on the Hill Day will be held just prior to EMS Today, the annual JEMS conference and exhibition that is scheduled for March 5—9, also in Washington D.C. The schedule for the 2013 EMS on the Hill Day includes
the following:
- March 5: Participants will meet with other participants and attend a pre-Hill visit briefing, followed by a reception.
- March 6: Participants will attend scheduled appointments with their Senate and House leaders and their staff, followed by an evening reception. Register online at www.naemt.org.