Updated 3/11/2005 8:49 AM  - USAToday

Report: EMS Lacks Terrorism Training, Equipment

NEW YORK, NY:  The emergency responders who provide medical care at disaster scenes aren't getting adequate training and don't have the proper equipment to respond to terrorist attacks involving explosives or chemical or biological agents, a report out Friday says.

Although they represent a third of the nation's first responders, emergency medical services (EMS) providers have received only 4% of the $3.38 billion the Homeland Security Department doled out for emergency preparedness in 2002 and 2003.

Without sufficient training and equipment, "when we have a major incident, we're not going to have an effective medical response — and that's critical to saving life and limb," says Robert Bass, Maryland's EMS director. "You get what you pay for."

The report, "Emergency Medical Services: The Forgotten First Responder," is being released Friday by New York University's Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response. It also found:

• More than half of the country's 900,000 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics have received less than one hour of training in dealing with biological and chemical agents and explosives since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and 20% have received no such training.

• Fewer than 33% of EMTs and paramedics have participated in a drill during the past year simulating a radiological, biological or chemical attack.

• EMS received only 5% of bioterrorism grant money from the Department of Health and Human Services.

• Six in 10 ambulance services received no federal funds to buy emergency preparedness equipment.

• In 25 states, 50% or fewer of EMTs and paramedics had adequate equipment to respond to a biological or chemical attack.₍₁₎

ERRI Analysis:

ERRI CEO, senior national security analyst, and former Asst. Chief Paramedic Clark Staten said about the report, "Sadly, I must report that this situation concerning EMT's and Paramedics has prevailed for many years...the EMS community is often referred to by people in the emergency business as the 'bastard stepchild' of the other emergency services. EMS has also never been very good at political maneuvering, lobbying, nor obtaining federal funding for anything. Law enforcement officers, the fire service, and the medical community have long been well respresented in congressional caucuses and have paid lobbyists and lawyers looking out for their welfare in Washington...so who do you think will get the bulk of the money for Homeland Security?"   

Staten said that he had previously pointed out the preparedness training issue concerning EMT and paramedic personnel in a a report he presented at the National Press Club in Washington, DC in October of 2001. ₍₂₎  During that presentation, Staten pointed out "the basic curriculums for firefighters, police officers and EMT's or paramedics have not been changed to include instructional modules or relevant reference materials in regard to terrorism. It should be noted that if entry level training is not quickly modified to include basic materials concerning terrorist response, and specifically designed for all of the disciplines involved, that newly emerging firefighters, police officers, EMTs & Paramedics, nurses and doctors will be no more prepared that their present contemporaries."

Furthermore, Staten pointed in his 2001 speech that, "Another vitally important problem involves the fact that any number of emergency service agencies still do not have the appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment (PPE) necessary to respond to a potential chem/bio/nuclear terrorist incident. This issue would appear particularly pertinent to both law enforcement and EMS personnel, many of whom do not presently have protective equipment. While fire departments may have the appropriate protective clothing and equipment to enable them to enter a potentially toxic environment, they most probably do not have the necessary number of trained personnel to carry out other essential [medical care] duties at the scene of a WMD terrorism event."

EmergencyNet News' former managing editor, Steve Macko, also pointed out this inter-service rivalry and a disparity in funding and training for EMS personnel as early as 1996.₍₃₎ In that report, Macko quoted Chief Staten as saying, "it would appear that EMTs and paramedics, who would certainly be called upon to provide advanced medical care for the victims of chemical or biological exposure, have almost been completely left out of the planning and financing process," the retired Asst. Chief Paramedic [Staten] added. "It is already becoming a political and economic 'football' in some circles...with emergency and government agencies, professional organizations, unions, and corporate entities all scrambling for their piece of the pie."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, will reportedly introduce a bill that would create a federal committee to help guide EMS providers through the complex grant process and make sure federal preparedness money is well-spent. "EMS has been shortchanged for years," Collins said. "This alarming trend has to be reversed."

EmergencyNet News has been working on an extensive update concerning emergency service terrorism preparedness in 2005 and we will bring you additional data on this important issue as it is gathered and analyzed. That said, if the USAToday report cited is an accurate picture of the current state of EMS terrorism equipment and training...and we believe that to be so...the good people at DHS and in the Congress need to give this issue the appropriate attention it deserves at the earliest opportunity.

Article References:

(1) "Report: EMS lacks terrorism training, equipment," By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY, which can be found at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-03-10-ems-lax_x.htm

(2) "Homeland Defense Review Emergency Service Issues" (Part 2 of 3) Speech Presented GenCon Seminar at the National Press Club, Washington, DC, October 24, 2001, By Staten, C. L., ERRI, can be found at: http://www.emergency.com/2001/homeland-defense2.htm

(3) 12/20/96 - Vol. 2, No. 355, "Officials Say We're Not Ready; Training Battles Ensue,"  By Steve Macko, former ENN Managing Editor, which can be found at: http://www.emergency.com/cbn-trng.htm

Additional pertinent references:

Emergency Medical Services; The Forgotten First Responder, New York University, Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response ( these are the findings upon which the USAToday article is based.  This file is in .pdf format)

09 Sep 2002 -- Training Technology Against Terror: Using Advanced Technology to Prepare America’s Emergency Medical Personnel and First Responders for a Weapon of Mass Destruction Attack (With footnote reference to ERRI's Steve Macko and his article, "Senate Hearings Say Local Fire and Emergency Services not Prepared" March 1996, on Page 18 of report)

RE: The Fire Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act, (H.R. 1168, S-1941 and S-1899), "no funding for EMS training," can be found at: http://www.emergency.com/2000/fireact2000.htm

03/91--EMS in the Fire Service; Productivity for the 90's ?? Staten, C. L., EMT-P, I/C, EMS District Commander, Chicago Fire Dept. (Ret.), can be found at: http://www.emergency.com/ff-ems.htm

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