Out of crisis and chaos there comes hope. There was concern a few weeks ago about the continued existence of the EMS & TS Section. What has grown from this is an opportunity for the section to reorganize and change the way we do business. Although there's still a lot of details to work out, we appreciate your continued patience and we will certainly appreciate your support further down the road when we will need the ideas and thoughts of all EMS stakeholders. A few things we do know at this time:

1) The section will remain functionally intact. The Board of Medical Examiners has taken on the administration of their EMT certification rules and the exam process (they were their rules in the first place - EMS & TS just helped them administer the program). Along with the EMT license program, two positions from EMS & TS will be moved over to the BOME to help them develop exams, educate instructors and medical directors and all the things that go with that.

2) Two new Bureaus are being formed in the Division reorganization and EMS & TS will be fit into one of them. Although the decision as which it will be is still forthcoming, there will be a continue alliance with bioterrorism and other programs we need to integrate with - a welcome change from before in which we didn't fit well into any part of the previous organization.

3) The Section will soon begin some internal strategic planning to look at what we're obligated to maintain - while at the same time looking towards what we could be.

4) Once we have our feet back on the ground, a more broad planning process will begin involving many stakeholders in the EMS system - resulting in an EMS plan which help direct our strategies and priorities.

EMS, as is all health care, is rapidly changing and there are many issues and challenges which are effecting the availability of EMS in local communities. This reorganization should help us better meet those challenges and to be the lead agency for the development of a comprehensive EMS system which will survive the future.