Mission & History
Over 50 years of supporting EMS in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin EMS Association (WEMSA) represents and supports the views and interests of our membership in Wisconsin communities by promoting education, sharing information, and facilitating legislative action.
MISSION
To serve those who serve others
VISION
To be the voice for those who serve.
STRATEGIC VALUES
Education: Lead in the delivery of the highest quality education.
Membership: Grow membership to strengthen the voice of the industry.
Leadership: Build governance excellence.
Public Policy: Be the resource of choice in public policy.
CORE VALUES
Advancing essential emergency services access and delivery across Wisconsin, the region, and the nation.
Acting as a unified voice for emergency personnel.
Aligning with others to define emergency services as their work.
Honoring diversity and inclusiveness among our members, their organizations, and throughout the industry.
Leading to identify, develop, and share best practices of emergency services as an industry.
Learning from each other to advance our work and our industry.
Partnering with government medical providers and community to meet the essential services in the continuum of care.
Strong action to identify and unite all emergency services to deliver the highest quality of care.
HISTORY
Founded in 1973, the Wisconsin EMS Association® (WEMSA®) is Wisconsin's statewide trade association and leading voice for EMS, uniting over 6,000 members across over 400+ EMS organizations and allied partners, with a core focus on strengthening public and nonprofit EMS agencies. WEMSA advances EMS through advocacy, education, and connection, including one of the nation's largest EMS conferences, statewide professional development, and member communications and publications that support high-quality service delivery and leadership across Wisconsin.
WEMSA's work centers on positioning EMS as an essential public service by stabilizing and growing the EMS workforce, advancing sustainable funding and readiness models grounded in data, and strengthening patient care, practice, and advocacy influence through deeper member engagement and strategic partnerships.
The Wisconsin EMS Association hosts one of the largest EMS conferences in the United States, known as the WEMSA Conference & Expo, featuring a massive expo hall, multiple tracks of education, hands-on demonstrations, and national speakers. Official Publications include the quarterly full-color publication, EMS Professionals®, and the WEMSA Connection™ E-Newsletter, published every other week.
WEMSA has been the driving force behind a variety of programs and projects including:
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- Establishment of the EMS Tuition Reimbursement Program (administered through HEAB).
- Establishing the EMS Funding Assistance Program (FAP).
- Establishing the First Responder certification.
- Establishing the Flexible Staffing Model through 2017 Wisconsin Act 97 (known as "Flex Staffing").
- Public Access to AEDs/ Defibrillation.
- Establishment of the Length of Service Awards Program (LOSA) for first responders, now known as the Service Awards Program.
- Increased funding initiatives both through one-time funding, increased reimbursements, etc.
- Establishment of Community EMS through 2017 Wisconsin Act 66.
- and several other initiatives to support EMS in Wisconsin.
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Always seeking input from its members, WEMSA continually obtains feedback and information through it's workgroups and member surveys. Backed with the latest data on EMS in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin EMS Association is 'Serving Those Who Serve Others'.
