To continue to build and support NAEMT's national EMS advocacy efforts at the state level, 18 NAEMT members have been appointed as volunteer state advocacy coordinators. The new state advocacy coordinators are:

Arkansas - Kenneth C. Jones, BSE, NREMT-P
California – Michael McDonough, NREMT-P
Colorado – Ben Richards, NREMT-P, RN, BA, BSN
Connecticut - Thomas Russell, MS, Paramedic
Hawaii - Christopher Crabtree, MPA, CHEP
Illinois – Evelyn Hunter, NREMT-B, JD
Kansas – Chy Miller, EMT-P
Maine – Shaun St. Germain, BS, NREMT-P
Michigan – Craig Dunham, MS, NREMT-P
Nebraska – Bruce Beins, EMT-P, EMSI
New Hampshire – Tim McGough, NREMT-P
New Jersey – Andy Lovell, NREMT-P, NJ MICP
Nevada – D. Troy Tuke, RN, NREMT-P
Oregon – Dawn Poetter, Paramedic
South Dakota – Andrew Binder, MS, NREMT-P, CCEMT-P
Tennessee – John Phelps II, BSOE, NREMT-P
Texas – Ryan Corbin, NREMT-B
Washington – Brian Schaeffer, MPA, EMT-P

These coordinators join the existing network of 21 coordinators appointed last year.

The position's responsibilities include:

• Conducting outreach to NAEMT members in the state to encourage and support member participation in national EMS advocacy efforts;
• Updating members on the status of pending national legislation and regulation;
• Coordinating visits to the district offices of the state's U.S. Senators and House Representatives to educate congressional leaders and staff about the issues that affect delivery of EMS to communities within the state;
• Building relations with the state EMS office and state EMS association(s);
• Coordinating state involvement in national advocacy campaigns.

In an evolving and ongoing process aimed at continued growth, NAEMT is working to ensure that each state as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will have an appointed state advocacy coordinator. Interested NAEMT members are encouraged to apply for the open state positions at advocacy@naemt.org.

"Making a difference in people's lives is part of our job in EMS. But we also can make a difference in our chosen profession and the communities we serve through advocacy. NAEMT’s network of state advocacy coordinators helps us build a groundswell of advocacy support for federal issues at the local level,” says Jim Judge, Chair of the NAEMT Advocacy Committee. “NAEMT is the first EMS organization to create such a grassroots network, and it continues to be an ongoing and evolving process. In only a few short months since the network's inception, our state advocacy coordinators have already had an impact on federal legislation. We'll see the greatest accomplishments when all NAEMT members participate with their state advocacy coordinators in advocating for the betterment of the EMS profession.”

EMS practitioners are encouraged to contact their state advocacy coordinator and let them know they are interested in federal advocacy issues and willing to help by reaching out to their individual networks. Learn more about the role of the state advocacy coordinators, contacting the coordinator in your state, and how to become a state advocacy coordinator here. Helpful information on how legislation is reviewed and how to advocate in your state can be found here.