SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The International Association of EMS Chiefs (IAEMSC) and National EMS Management Association plan to merge within the next year, the two management organizations announced this week.
The update came Tuesday during the NEMSMA annual meeting held at the 2014 Pinnacle Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. IAEMSC President-elect Rob Farmer joined current NEMSMA President Troy Hagen to make the announcement. Also at the meeting, Michael Touchstone, chief of EMS training at the Philadelphia Fire Department, took the reins as the next NEMSA president.
“It’s critical that EMS administrators and leaders unify their voices and create even greater synergistic association,” Farmer said.
The plan has been in the works since November 2013, when the two groups voted unanimously to move forward with a plan to consolidate. With shared missions, goals and objectives, they aim to leverage those strengths into an organization that addresses the needs of current and future EMS leaders.
Each organization will bring its strength to the yet-unamed organization. IAEMSC consists of about 200 members and is focused on top-tier current leaders. NEMSMA consists of about 1,400 members and is focused on multi-tier managers and administrators, as well as up and coming leaders.
A steering committee is looking over bylaws, governance structures and the nonprofit status of both organizations, and a final plan will be presented to the associations for approval.
Touchstone highlighted the need to continue current projects while the merger is being finalized.
“It’s important that members of both organizations continue to support and engage with their associations, rather than sit back and wait to see what happens,” Touchstone said. “The work is too important to wait.”