In 1973, the founders of the Wisconsin EMS Association were putting the finishing touches on the creation of a new support group for EMS in Wisconsin. Just days before the end of the year, the Wisconsin EMT Association, also known as WEMTA, was officially born. The date of incorporation was December 23, 1973. The founders of the Association and the initial board consisted of twelve directors, all but one of whom were from Milwaukee County. The Association, while endeavoring to be a state-wide organization, clearly had its early roots in the far southeast corner of the state.

During the early days of the association, the focus was on the EMS activities of Milwaukee and surrounding areas. A monthly publication, the WEMTA Journal, was soon started. By 1976, membership had grown to 150 people representing 47 different departments or agencies. For the first time, members began to join the association from outside of Southeastern Wisconsin. One year later the first annual Wisconsin EMT Association banquet and statewide business meeting was held.

By 1980, the WEMTA Board and committees had grown to include representation from across Wisconsin with cities like Stevens Point, Rhinelander, Superior, Green Bay, Marshfield, Eau Claire and many others having representation. With new people came new ideas and new directions for the association.

1982 began with a complete redesign of the association publication, The Professionals. As the year continued, every issue of Professionals contained timely and original articles detailing the activities of EMS throughout Wisconsin. With a new magazine, a renewed focus, and additional WEMTA chapters being created, the association had clearly arrived as a state-wide organization.

As the association began its second decade, frustrations mounted when service to WEMTA members became spotty and The Professionals publication often missed deadlines and was now being published only four times each year. This continued for several years until 1985 when a new list of goals was set. The possibility of a state-wide conference was among those goals. WEMTACON ‘87 became the first WEMTA conference ever to be held. The single day event attracted 60 participants in Madison on January 24, 1987.

Under the direction of new leadership, WEMTA’s second attempt at an EMS conference bore little resemblance to its first. Working Together In EMS 1988 featured a keynote speaker from Baltimore, Maryland, as well as 20 other presenters delivering 24 educational sessions. Over 200 participants traveled to the Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc for what turned out to be one of Wisconsin’s larger EMS conferences ever held.

By 1989, the Wisconsin EMT Association had posted three solid years of consistency. The association worked hard on a bill that would provide funding to nearly every ambulance service in the state as well as provide free initial and refresher training for EMT-Basics. The program continues today as the Funding Assistance Program, providing $2.2 million each year to Wisconsin's ambulance services.

In 1990 the annual conference became a three day event and grew to host 500 participants under the direction of many of the same staff members who continue through today. WEMTA membership crossed 1,000 for the first time. By all accounts, it appeared that the association had finally achieved the vision its founders had for it over fifteen years ago.

In July of 1992, the WEMTA president announced the opening of an office, along with the hiring of the association’s first paid staff member. New office equipment was purchased, a toll-free number, 1-800-793-6820, was installed, and all operations were moved to one single location. For the first time, EMS Professionals, a full-color magazine with regular columns and feature articles, arrived to the members of the association. So many EMS services saw the value of their EMTs receiving a copy of the magazine that by the end of 1994, WEMTA membership had increased by over 50% to an all-time high of 1,640. By 1995 membership had reached 2,000 and conference attendance was over 1,300.

The association made a surprising announcement in 1996 that it had changed its name to the Wisconsin EMS Association to broaden its representation to all facets of emergency medical services. The change included the appointment of a legal advisor and a medical director to guide and advise the association. The continued growth also necessitated the hiring of a second employee as an association secretary was brought in to assist with daily business. A new product called the Hot Sheets, was released and after record-setting attendance, it was announced that the Working Together In EMS conference would expand to be a four day event. Although in 1996 the Internet was still new to many members, the association was among the first to launch a web site at www.WisconsinEMS.com.

A long-awaited goal was reached in 1998 as the Wisconsin EMS Association announced it had retained Broydrick and Associates, one of Wisconsin’s most powerful lobbying firms, to represent the association in Madison on a daily basis. By this time, the Wisconsin EMS Association held little resemblance to the organization it was only a few years prior. No longer ineffective and slow to respond, the association immediately saw success on many fronts including, for the first time in many years, the political front.