WASHINGTON — Members of the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC) have been terminated, according to a letter obtained by EMS1. The letter, signed by Office of EMS Director Gamunu Wijetunge, offers no explanation for the decision.
“As of the date of this letter, your appointment has been terminated,” Wijetunge wrote in the letter, dated Aug. 13, 2025.
The letter expresses gratitude for the contributions of the advisory group, stating that NEMSAC “has addressed some of the most complex challenges facing Emergency Medical Services.” It also acknowledges the council’s role in producing recommendations that “have informed policy and helped advance practical solutions.”
According to outgoing NEMSAC Chair Brenden Hayden, approximately half of the council had already “timed out” of their terms under statute, set to transition their seats in April 2025. Half of NEMSAC’s membership turns over every 2 years to allow for continuity of the work.
However, all NEMSAC operations had been suspended shortly after the inauguration, with in-person meetings and virtual subcommittee meetings paused, NEMSAC member Brandon Morshedi, MD, DPT, FACEP, FAEMS, told EMS1.
NEMSAC activity
“NEMSAC was federally formed in order to advise on the best course of action for issues impacting EMS,” Tom Arkins, MSHI, EMT-P, immediate past vice chair of NEMSAC, told EMS1. “This committee reviewed different aspects of EMS from various subject matter experts. Subject matter experts about climate change were brought in to review how climate change might impact caring for individuals experiencing a heat or cold emergency, experts from Canada were brought in to discuss how they are addressing assaults to EMS providers, and NASA physicians were brought in to discuss how EMS is preformed in space and are there any lessons learned that could be applied to conventional EMS.”
He added, “The Council is made up of everyone who could engage in the care of an EMS patient from EMT’s, paramedics, firefighters, nursed, doctors, surgeons, and the general public with the single goal of advancing the profession and offering new and innovative ideas from a wide range of disciplines.”
Hayden emphasized the council’s recent productivity, noting that in the past 2 years, NEMSAC produced more advisories than any previous council. These included recommendations on EMS workforce retention, exertional heat stroke management, large event standards, provider resiliency, paramedic practitioner development and mobile integrated healthcare funding.
“The Council prides itself on reviewing all aspects of EMS and being informed to make sure that their recommendations are factual and accurate when presented,” Arkins noted. “The removal of all the Council members creates a gap in knowledge which will delay future advisories from moving forward and advancing the career or EMS.”
Dr. Morshedi shared, “From my perspective, the work of the Council is important to the EMS community as a whole because NEMSAC is the only federal voice of EMS. It’s now former membership came from all parts of the country, made up of bipartisan membership, and worked together in an incredibly efficient manner because we all put patients and EMS first. NEMSAC is the mechanism to make change happen at the Executive Branch level, and now that isolated mechanism is on hold.”
“This is a step backwards for EMS and the significant progress towards modernization of EMS,” Dr. Morshedi added. “We were producing a large number of advisories on important matters that would have improved all aspects of EMS, from workforce, to patient care, to community preparedness and much more. We were addressing reimbursement, patient and provider safety, scope of practice, EMS wall times, TIP/TAD initiatives, medication shortages, education, bidirectional data sharing, technology integration and a couple dozen other initiatives simultaneously.”
“I’m proud of the work that NEMSAC takes on, and it has been the privilege of a lifetime to be a member of this Council,” Hayden noted. “My fear is that without a proper transition, the work of the Council will continue to be impacted. The continued loss or delay of NEMSAC’s voice has a real impact.”
About the National EMS Advisory Council
Established in 2007, NEMSAC is a federally recognized advisory panel made up of 25 EMS professionals and consumer representatives. The volunteer council advises the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS. While it plays a key role in shaping federal EMS guidance, it holds no rulemaking or program management authority.
Mike Taigman, MA, another NEMSAC member, old EMS1: “The members I have served with are an extraordinary group of visionaries and leaders. I hope that whatever happens next will continue to serve the needs of our country. I believe the work of the committee is vital to the maintenance and evolution of EMS in America.”
As of publication, no public statement has been issued by NHTSA explaining the reason for the mass termination.
