The Wisconsin EMS Association Board of Directors wishes to go on record in support of the adoption of the scope of practice of the 1999 National Standard Curriculum for EMT-Intermediates. As part of its adoption, we support this curriculum being revised and altered to better fit the needs of Wisconsin EMS. However, the core content, as well as the medications and procedures contained within the curriculum, should be adopted and implemented for Wisconsin. If we fail as a State to meet the goals and objectives of the national standard, we will no longer be able to function on a national basis and will create a level of provider that is not able to operate outside of Wisconsin. We may also prohibit persons trained to the level of EMT-Intermediate in other states from obtaining certification in Wisconsin. Further, if skills, medications or procedures contained in the National Standard Curriculum for EMT-Intermediates are to be omitted for use in Wisconsin, they shall only be omitted based on their safety and efficacy for this level of provider and not based in whole or in part because of the effects these interventions may have on other levels of EMS providers. Finally, if EMTs in the State of Wisconsin will be expected to invest 300 or more hours of time to become certified or continue their certification, they should be allowed to operate at the full scope of practice of the national standard.

The Wisconsin EMS Association Board of Directors supports the need to obtain the new EMT-Intermediate training and adopt the new standards in order to provide the highest quality of care to the citizens of Wisconsin. However, the Board of Directors is concerned about the ability of Wisconsin current EMT-Intermediate providers to transition to the new standards. In order to allow for all of Wisconsin’s current EMT-Intermediate services to continue operation at this level, the Board of Directors supports the following items.

1. Transition training should be allowed to take place over several years. The transition training should be allowed in place of the EMT-Intermediate obtaining an EMT-Basic and EMT-Intermediate refresher. Providing the transition training over time will allow for an agreeable method of transition that will provide for the greatest number of EMT-Intermediates to continue operations.

2. Investigation should be made into initial and transition training provided as modular training. Allowing students to complete EMT-Intermediate training in modules, over several years, will allow for flexibility and allow for more people to become trained and certified. Where possible, once a module is completed, and competency is tested, the student should be allowed to operate using the scope of practice of that module.

3. Current EMT-Intermediates and Intermediate ambulance services should be allowed to continue operations without obtaining transition training as long as they have ample personnel to staff their services to meet current Department of Health and Family Services rules. Current services should not be forced to cease using skills and medications based solely on this curriculum change. If services no longer have adequate staff to meet current DHFS rules, they should be required to cease operations as an EMT-Intermediate service, consistent with current practice in Wisconsin.

4. Once the new standards and curriculum are adopted in Wisconsin, the 1999 National Standard Curriculum for EMT-Intermediates shall be the only curriculum used for training at the level of EMT-Intermediate. Continuing training using the current EMT-Intermediate curriculum is not in the best interest of the betterment of EMS in Wisconsin and will only serve to prolong training using standards that are already outdated.

The Wisconsin EMS Association Board of Directors believes the changes and new standards at the level of EMT-Intermediate should be implemented prior to the end of 2001. Using these guidelines, a sunset date for completion of this transition is not necessary.