National Fire Academy EMS management courses offered in Florida
Through the joint efforts of the National Fire Academy (NFA), the Florida State Fire College (FSFC), and the Florida office of EMS, 16 EMS educators from Florida community colleges and EMS training centers were able to take the NFA Management of Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) course in their home state, at FSFC in Ocala in June. The successive course, Advanced Leadership Issues in EMS (ALIEMS), will be offered to the same audience at the end of this month.
Meeting with Keith Dutton, Florida state EMS director; Tom Lackey, chair of the state EMS Advisory Council`s Education Committee; and Gordon Sachs, chair of the FSFC EMS Management Curriculum Advisory Committee, after graduation, attendees at the MEMS course recommended that the course be offered statewide through the NFA in a direct-delivery format; that quality control measures be developed so the course can be offered by community college instructors as an NFA offering; that the course be promoted as a bridge to a baccalaureate program; and that a common course number be assigned through the community college and university system. For the long term, it was recommended that the course be handed off to Florida community colleges for delivery. For additional information, contact Gordon Sachs, deputy chief, Marion County Fire-Rescue, 3230 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala FL 34471.
