The U.S. Department of Transportation is soliciting applications for appointment or reappointment to the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC).

The council, first chartered by the Secretary of Transportation in 2007, provides emergency medical services (EMS) advice to the department and its federal partners. It makes recommendations on key issues in the EMS field, including recruitment and retention of emergency medical service personnel, quality improvement, EMS data collection and research, and preparation for multi-casualty incidents. The NEMSAC is administered through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of EMS.

Members are appointed by the Secretary of Transportation for a period of two years and will be selected for their individual expertise and to reflect a balanced representation of interests from across the EMS community. The NEMSAC consists of 26 members, 24 of whom must represent the perspectives of particular sectors of the EMS community. The sectors which are open for applications for appointments and/or reappointments are:

• Volunteer EMS
• Fire-based (career) EMS
• Private (career non-fire) EMS
• Hospital-based EMS
• Tribal EMS
• Air Medical EMS
• Local EMS service directors/administrators
• EMS Medical Directors
• Emergency Physicians
• Trauma Surgeons
• Pediatric Emergency Physicians
• EMS Educators
• Public Safety Call-taker/Dispatcher (911)
• EMS Data Managers
• EMS Researchers
• Emergency Nurses
• Hospital Administration
• Public Health
• Emergency Management
• State Homeland Security Director
• State EMS Director
• State or local legislative bodies (e.g. city/county councils; state legislatures)

The NEMSAC meets in Washington, D.C. approximately once per quarter. Members serve without compensation from the Federal Government; however, they receive travel reimbursement and per diem.

Qualified individuals interested in serving on the NEMSAC are invited to read the posted Federal Register notice (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-03-02/pdf/2012-5088.pdf) for further information on how to apply. Applications are due to NHTSA by March 30, 2012.

For more information on NEMSAC or the NHTSA Office of EMS please go to www.EMS.gov or contact Drew Dawson at Drew.Dawson@dot.gov or at 202-336-9966.