Page 155 - BWM Dec 2012

December 2012 | Business World Magazine | 155
The National Association of Emer-
gency Medical Technicians
(NAEMT) is the nation’s only or-
ganization solely dedicated to representing
the professional interests of all EMS prac-
titioners, including paramedics, emergency
medical technicians, emergency medical re-
sponders and other professionals working in
pre-hospital emergency medicine.
Formed in 1975, NAEMT was creat-
ed to represent the modernized profession of
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) – an in-
dustry that included paramedics and emer-
gency technicians. “Until the early 1970s,
EMS was not perceived a distinct profes-
sion,” says Pamela Lane, NAEMT Executive
Director.
“In the 1970s, the group of individu-
als who were practicing at the time said, ‘We
need to create an association to help the pub-
lic understand and recognize the field EMS
and to speak on behalf of those in the profes-
sion,’” she says.
Lane joined the association in 2007
and has a background in associationmanage-
ment working for groups such as Rotary In-
ternational, the Institute of Real Estate Man-
agement and the National Parent Teacher
Association.
REPRESENT AND SERVE
The mission of the National Association of
Emergency Medical Technicians is to repre-
sent and serve its 32,000-plus member base
through advocacy, educational programs and
research. NAEMTmembers work in all sec-
tors of EMS including government agencies,
fire departments, hospital-based ambulance
services, private companies, industrial and
special operations settings and the military.
Lane says one of the most valuable ser-
vices NAEMT provides is EMS education,
and NAEMT members benefit significantly
through NAEMT’s continuing education
discounts. One of the association’s most rec-
ognized educational programs is PreHospi-
tal Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), which
is well-known nationally and globally. Over
50,000 students take the course each year.
NAEMT is also valuable for the role
it plays in getting the word out about the in-
dustry, Lane adds. “We increase awareness
among the public about the valuable role
that paramedics and EMTs play in their lo-