CLINTON, Miss. – A new NAEMT position statement calls for consistent state minimum licensure and re-licensure requirements for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics to ensure a professional, well-trained and reliable workforce that can meet evolving patient care needs in state and national disaster response.
The NAEMT believes that all U.S. states and territories should adopt a consistent set of minimum licensure and re-licensure requirements for emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
“Our country needs an EMS licensure framework that enables EMS to fully respond to patient needs, regardless of location and disaster situation,” said NAEMT board president Conrad “Chuck” Kearns.
The NAEMT position statement lists the minimum requirements for practitioners to be licensed as:
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Maintain a valid driver’s license.
- Possess a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Pass a local and national criminal background check.
- Pass a drug screening test.
- Possess a National Registry certification.
- Be fingerprinted.
The position statement also addresses re-licensure. All states should require the same number of continuing education hours for emergency medical technicians and paramedics as required by the National Registry of EMTs.
Consistent requirements will strengthen EMS
The lack of consistent EMS licensure and re-licensure requirements inhibits the ability of our nation to develop and maintain a professional, well-trained, and reliable EMS workforce.
“Consistent state licensure requirements will strengthen the EMS profession and support our essential role in our nation’s healthcare system,” said Kearns.
Currently, there is no agreement between states on EMS licensure and re-licensure requirements. Some states only require proof of NREMT certification for licensure; some states do not issue EMS licenses but rather accept the NREMT certification card in lieu of a license. There is even greater variation with re-licensure requirements.
Current requirements vary greatly from state to state
A 2013 survey by the National Association of State EMS Officials confirmed that EMS licensure and re-licensure requirements vary greatly from one state to the next. A lack of consistent licensure requirements contradicts the stated desire of EMS stakeholders – practitioners, agencies, state officials, and federal agencies with jurisdiction over EMS – to strengthen the EMS workforce in order to meet evolving patient care needs within our communities and fully participate in state and national disaster response.