Part of working through challenges in emergency medical services includes having accurate numbers on the number of personnel in the system.

To that end, Congressman Glenn Thompson and Congresswoman Susan Wild, a Democrat from the Lehigh Valley, have championed the EMS Counts Act which, they say, will “address the chronic miscounting” of personnel at a federal level.

Thompson said in a newsletter that the bill cleared the House Education and Workforce Committee.

“This legislation addresses the chronic under-counting of first responders by requiring the Department of Labor to collect accurate data of first responders who may serve dual roles,” Thompson said. “Correcting this system ensures our first responders have the necessary resources to protect our communities in emergencies.

“I am grateful the bill has been approved through the Committee and I look forward to seeing it come for a vote before the full House of Representatives.”

The act would require the Department of Labor to revise the Standard Occupational Classification System which is used to collect data on fire and EMS personnel.

According to a statement from the representatives when the bill was introduced, this revision “would divide the general occupational category of ‘Firefighter’ into four sub-categories, allowing firefighters to identify themselves as cross-trained EMS providers to better ensure an accurate count of EMS professionals in our communities.”

They note that EMS “consists of a diverse group of first responders and healthcare practitioners” who often serve in dual roles” as firefighter/EMTs and firefighter/paramedics. “The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Statistics (BLS)’s current occupational classification system doesn’t accurately categorize firefighters whose primary job is being a paramedic or EMT. This oversight in recognizing cross-training means a significant, chronic undercount of EMS personnel across the country, making it difficult to track gaps in emergency services and meet the needs of first responders.”

“Prior to serving in Congress, I spent many years as (a) firefighter-EMS volunteer and I most certainly recognize the vital role they play in our community,” Thompson said when the bill was introduced.

“Correcting the Department of Labor’s outdated labeling system is important because without correct data on the number of EMTs, paramedics, and other trained emergency service providers, it is difficult to meet the health and safety needs of our communities.