The first of these has been to improve laws and regulations applicable to EMS in Illinois, and to keep our members - and all providers in the state - informed of rules, regulations and laws that are under consideration for change. These efforts have included conferring with the Illinois Department of Public Health to negotiate policy changes, designating members to serve as participants in meeting
s of State planning bodies and offering testimony before committees of the State Legislature. While not always successful in achieving the change(s) we proposed, several important revisions or additions to Illinois EMS law have resulted directly from the actions of the IEMTA. Among the most significant of these were the inclusion of National Registry reciprocity in the State EMS Act, changes in Good Samaritan Law language and the approval of the EMT-Intermediate level. The second major area of concentration has been a focus on quality education for EMS personnel. Each year we plan our annual meeting and seminar with an eye to providing a useful learning experience for the attendees, and structure it in such a way to afford the maximum possible number of continuing education hours; this event has always been well attended and received. The Luann Acuncius Excellence in EMS Education Award is presented by the Association each year at the seminar, an affirmation of our commitment in this area. An annual fall Instructor's Seminar was also a popular staple of the Association for a number of years; a casualty of scheduling, it has been absent in the immediate past and will hopefully resume this year. The IEMTA also, over the last several years, worked in conjunction with IDPH to facilitate the "Roll-Outs" of the revised EMT-B, I and P curricula to the Illinois EMS community. Our final primary goal has been in the area of communication, information sharing and networking. This has traditionally been accomplished primarily through our seminars and our quarterly newspaper, The IEMTA Monitor, which is mailed to every member of the Association and distributed through various medical agencies. Limited use of the web site began approximately five years ago, with the fully expanded site going into operation this year. An on-line or e-mailed version of the Monitor is being explored for the convenience of the members. We have also sought to address this goal via extensive networking with other agencies and organizations. The IEMTA maintains working relationships with a number of these, including the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) and Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children (IEMSC); we value and constantly try to expand these relationships. Networking with other bodies is important to the Association, and to this end strategic alliances with organizations such as the Illinois Medical Emergency Response Team (IMERT), the Save a Life Foundation (SALF), the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA) and the American Red Cross (ARC) are being developed. The IEMTA has embraced one of the most valuable of the 9/11 lessons: that we are ALL public safety, ALL need to understand one another and ALL need to work together for the common good, although our missions and responsibilities may vary slightly. The Association also recognizes full well that effective relationships are best formed and mutual understandings reached before a crisis arises, and we are working hard towards that end.
