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NEMSAC dismantled: Inside the fallout shaking federal EMS policy

Rob Lawrence speaks with two former National EMS Advisory Committee chairs to uncover how years of progress were halted overnight, the critical work left undone and the path forward

This breaking-news edition of EMS One-Stop dives straight into the announcement that the National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC) has been dissolved. Host Rob Lawrence is joined by Dr. Brandon Morshedi (NEMSAC chair-elect) and Brenden Hayden (immediate past chair), who explain what NEMSAC is, what it achieved and why its sudden dismissal has left the EMS community frustrated, concerned and searching for answers.

Together, they outline the role of NEMSAC as the sole statutory advisory body connecting EMS to the federal executive branch, describe the hundreds of volunteer hours that went into shaping advisories, and discuss what happens now that years of hard work and documents have been pulled from .

This episode sets the record straight, provides a clear explainer of the process, and captures the disappointment 鈥 yet determination 鈥 of leaders committed to moving EMS forward despite this setback.

| More: National EMS Advisory Council board members terminated

Memorable quotes

  • 鈥淣o one sits around a table and decides what we鈥檙e going to do based on politics. We make decisions based on what鈥檚 in the best interest of EMS and the patients we serve.鈥 鈥 Brenden Hayden
  • 鈥淲e needed one more meeting in February to wrap up at least six more advisories. It was heartache 鈥 the work just came to a grinding halt.鈥 鈥 Dr. Brandon Morshedi
  • 鈥淣EMSAC is the only organization whose charter is designed to speak directly to the federal government.鈥 鈥 Brenden Hayden
  • 鈥淲hat鈥檚 different this time is all 25 members are gone. There will be no continuity.鈥 鈥 Dr. Brandon Morshedi
  • 鈥淭his became another full-time job for all of us 鈥 25 people who already had full-time jobs dedicating themselves to EMS.鈥 鈥 Brenden Hayden
  • 鈥淲e had 14 advisories in the hopper. Twenty-five percent of NEMSAC鈥檚 total output came in the last two years.鈥 鈥 Dr. Brandon Morshedi
  • 鈥淩egardless of how our tenure has ended, it鈥檚 been the privilege of a lifetime to sit with 24 like-minded leaders.鈥 鈥 Brenden Hayden
  • 鈥淚t does no good to just complain. Learn the process, unify our voice and make change happen.鈥 鈥 Dr. Brandon Morshedi

Episode timeline

01:08 鈥 Rob introduces the breaking news: NEMSAC dissolved
02:22 鈥 What is NEMSAC? Brenden explains its statutory role
04:52 鈥 How does NEMSAC differ from associations? Direct advisory to the executive branch
06:42 鈥 Appointments, terms and how continuity usually worked
08:44 鈥 The depth of work: meetings, subcommittees, advisories, letters
11:23 鈥 Examples of major advisories and public comment process
14:27 鈥 Shock: key advisories removed from
19:13 鈥 Explainer: FICEMS and how advisories flow through federal government
26:25 鈥 How members felt when dismissal was announced
30:18 鈥 What happens to unfinished advisories and research
34:20 鈥 Associations鈥 role in keeping the work alive
35:50 鈥 The advisory each guest is most proud of
39:41 鈥 Lessons learned: influence, unified voice, process
43:25 鈥 Final reflections: leadership, advocacy, and what comes next

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Rob Lawrence has been a leader in civilian and military EMS for over a quarter of a century. He is currently the director of strategic implementation for PRO EMS and its educational arm, Prodigy EMS, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and part-time executive director of the California Ambulance Association.

He previously served as the chief operating officer of the Richmond Ambulance Authority (Virginia), which won both state and national EMS Agency of the Year awards during his 10-year tenure. Additionally, he served as COO for Paramedics Plus in Alameda County, California.

Prior to emigrating to the U.S. in 2008, Rob served as the COO for the East of England Ambulance Service in Suffolk County, England, and as the executive director of operations and service development for the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust. Rob is a former Army officer and graduate of the UK鈥檚 Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served worldwide in a 20-year military career encompassing many prehospital and evacuation leadership roles.

Rob is the President of the Academy of International Mobile Healthcare Integration (AIMHI) and former Board Member of the American Ambulance Association. He writes and podcasts for SA国际传媒 and is a member of the SA国际传媒 Editorial Advisory Board. Connect with him on .