WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) and John Mannion (NY-22) today introduced the EMS Counts Act to address the chronic miscounting of emergency personnel.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Statistics (BLS) current occupational classification system does not properly account for firefighters who are cross-trained as a paramedic or EMT. This oversight results in recognizing cross-training results in a significant and chronic undercount of emergency personnel nationwide, making it challenging to track gaps in emergency services and meet the needs of first responders.
The EMS Counts Act would require the BLS to revise the Standard Occupational Classification System to accurately reflect the number of paramedics, EMTs, and other first responders throughout communities nationwide.
“Prior to serving in Congress, I spent decades as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. I recognize and value to the commitment these individuals have to their communities,” Rep. Thompson said. “Correcting outdated classifications is important, because without an accurate count of the number of EMTs, paramedics, and other emergency service providers, it creates a challenge to adequately meet the health and safety needs of our communities.”
“The bipartisan EMS Counts Act supports our first responders by ensuring they are properly recognized in national workforce data,” Rep. Mannion said. “Firefighters and EMS personnel are often the first on the scene during emergencies, and the current data gap has real consequences for emergency planning, resource allocation, and workplace protections. By fixing this, we’re helping communities become safer, better prepared, and more resilient. I’m grateful to partner with Rep. GT Thompson and for his leadership on this commonsense legislation that honors the dedication of so many in Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, and across the country who put their lives on the line every day.”
“Fire fighters are proud to serve as the first medical professional to treat many critically ill or injured patients. Medical emergencies are one of fire fighters’ most common types of calls. The BLS’ failure to recognize that EMS is a core component of the fire service has led to incorrect data being used in emergency planning, labor surveys, and health protections for fire-based EMS professionals. The IAFF is proud to support this legislation from Reps. Thompson and Mannion which recognizes that EMS is an intrinsic part of the firefighting profession,” said Edward A. Kelly, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President.
“The bipartisan EMS Counts Act is foundational legislation for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) community. EMS consists of a diverse group of first responders, including health care practitioners such as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics who often serve in dual roles as Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics. NAEMT applauds Representative Thompson and Representative Mannion’s introduction of the EMS Counts Act that will finally accurately represent the current structure of the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), the system used by the Department of Labor BLS, which has led to a severe undercounting of EMS personnel across the nation. This data is the basis for funding and policy decisions, so to undercount EMS personnel is to undercut our nation’s ability to provide life-saving and preventive community care. NAEMT urges for passage of the EMS Counts Act,” said Chris Way, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) President.
