History of the NREMT
It has been nearly four decades since President Lyndon
Johnson's Committee on Highway Traffic Safety recommended the creation of a
national certification agency to establish uniform standards for training and
examination of personnel active in the delivery of emergency ambulance service.
The result of this recommendation was the inception of the National Registry of
Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) in 1970.
Since that time, pre-hospital emergency medical care
has continually evolved and improved. The EMT has been acknowledged as a
bonafide member of the health care team. Excellent training programs have been
developed and a vital focus has been placed on continuing education. National
standards have been established. Ambulance equipment essentials have been
set. National accreditation of paramedic
programs has been achieved, and professional associations for the EMT have been
organized.
Through every change, the NREMT has remained
steadfast in upholding its mission to provide a valid, uniform process to
assess the knowledge and skills required for competent practice required by
professionals throughout their careers and by maintaining a registry of
certification status.
The organization has done what was necessary to
establish, implement and maintain uniform requirements for the certification
and recertification of emergency medical technicians. The NREMT has also been
involved in numerous national projects and its staff participates on major
national committees, playing an active part in the ever-continuing process of improving
standards of emergency medical services.
Click on the decades below to read about the milestones in the NREMT’s history.
Ambulance Association of America
International Association of Fire Chiefs
International Rescue and First Aid Association
National Ambulance and Medical Services Association
National Forest Service
National Funeral Directors Association
National Park Service
National Safety Council
National Ski Patrol
American Heart Association
International Association of Chiefs of Police
The Task Force met only three times to draft bylaws, determine the composition of the
Board, discuss funding, and tackle a myriad of other concerns inherent in the
birth of the new certifying agency.
1969
President Lyndon Johnson's Committee on Highway Traffic Safety recommends the creation of a national
certification agency to establish uniform standards for training and examination of personnel active in
the delivery of emergency ambulance service. This resulted in the appointment
of a Task Force by the American Medical Association's Commission on EMS to
study the feasibility of a National Registry for EMTs. The Task Force was
headed by Oscar P. Hampton, Jr., M.D., a physician recognized for his
pioneering work with the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma.
1970
Representatives of organizations actively involved in emergency medical service
attend the first meeting of the Task Force on January 21, 1970. Organizations
invited to participate were:
On June 4, 1970, the Task Force was dissolved and was immediately
reconvened as the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the National
Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Roddy A. Brandes of the Ambulance
Association of America was elected the Board's first Chairman.
1971
Rocco V. Morando is selected as NREMT's founding Executive Director.
The first basic NREMT-Ambulance exam is administered simultaneously to 1,520
ambulance personnel at 51 test sites throughout the U.S. This event marked the beginning of National Board
Certification for the nation's Emergency Medical Technicians.
1973
The first recertification of a Nationally Registered EMT is processed.
1974
The NREMT calls a meeting of national EMT-Paramedic leaders and educators to
develop initial guidelines for the national EMT-Paramedic curriculum.
1975
Continuing education requirements for recertification are established for EMT-Ambulance
and EMT-Non Ambulance personnel.
The NREMT is instrumental in the formation of the National Association of
Emergency Medical Technicians.
A brief prepared by the NREMT is reviewed and accepted by the American Medical
Association's Committee on Health Manpower, resulting in the addition of
EMT-Paramedic to the list of approved health occupations and the subsequent
Council of Allied Health Education and Accreditation (C.A.H.E.A.) procedure.
1976-1977
The NREMT contracts with the University of Kansas to develop and pilot test written and practical
examinations for the EMT-Paramedic.
National curriculum for paramedic training is developed in conjunction with leading EMS
agencies and the University of Pittsburgh.
A multi-media, audiovisual teaching package is produced by the NREMT to train
examiners in the administration of an objective practical performance
examination for the EMT-Ambulance.
1978
The First NREMT-Paramedic exam is given in Minneapolis, MN.
The Registry becomes a member of the National Commission for Health Certifying
Agencies.
1979
Continuing education requirements for recertification are established for EMT-Paramedics.
As a member of the C.A.H.E.A. Joint Review Committee, the Registry helps to
develop essentials and guidelines for the accreditation of educational training
sites for the EMT-Paramedic.
1980
Guidelines
and examination for the EMT-Intermediate are developed.
The NREMT breaks ground on a new headquarters at 6610 Busch Boulevard in Columbus, Ohio,
to house the growing organization.
The first NREMT-Intermediate exam is given in Jackson, Mississippi.
1981
The NREMT’s new headquarters were dedicated on June 23.
1982
For the first time, two versions of the EMT-Ambulance exam are introduced, reducing the
possibility of exam compromise.
1983
Free-standing EMT-Intermediate written and practical examinations are developed and
implemented.
1984
The NREMT exams are now used by 24 states and territories as the sole basis for
certification at one or more levels. An additional 15 states and territories
accept NREMT exams in lieu of their state examinations, at one or more levels.
The NREMT becomes an active participant in a research project conducted by the
National Council of State EMS Training Coordinators to collect data and
determine the need for standards and guidelines for the EMT-Defibrillator level
of care.
1986
The NREMT incorporates all new standards of the American Heart Association into the
examinations at all three levels of certification.
The U.S. Department of Defense develops and disseminates Directive No. 6000.10 on
Emergency Medical Services which states, "All EMS health care personnel
working in an emergency care area shall have current certification in Basic
Life Support. Technicians or hospital corpsman working in EMS and/or assigned to ambulance duty
shall have a minimum of EMT-A certification from the National Registry of EMTs."
1987
The NREMT adopts examination blueprint changes to meet the newly released National
Standard EMT-Intermediate and EMT-Paramedic Curricula as developed and promulgated
by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The NREMT begins to include appropriate questions related to felony convictions
on all applications for initial certification and recertification.
New examinations are written and used at the EMT-Intermediate level according
to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s EMT-Intermediate curriculum.
1988
NREMT Executive Director Rocco V. Morando retires but continues his service as
Executive Consultant to the Board of Directors.
The NREMT headquarter building is renamed the Rocco V. Morando Building.
The NREMT accepts its 300,000th EMT-Ambulance application.
1989
William E. Brown, Jr., RN, MS, CEN, NREMT-P assumes the position of Executive Director.
All branches of the U.S. military begin to comply with the Department of
Defense Directive requiring National Registration for EMTs in the military.
A new category, EMT-Basic, is established, combining EMT-Ambulance and
EMT-Non-Ambulance.
The National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Directors replaces
the International Association of Chiefs of Police on the Board of Directors.
1991
The NREMT participate in the revision of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s EMT-Basic
curriculum.
1992
The NREMT implements a scientifically developed policy to accommodate candidates
with learning disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
The Board of Directors approves funding for a National EMT
Training Blueprint project and study design for a knowledge and skills retention
study.
1993
The NREMT endorsed the EMS Education and Practice Blueprint.
The NREMT votes to support the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health
Education Programs, which replaced the American Medical Associations Committee on
Allied Health Accreditation as the sponsoring body for accreditation.
1995
The NREMT conducts a Practice Analysis study to determine key areas required for practice. All exams are
updated based on the data obtained from this study.
1996
The NREMT installs a new computer system which improves communications with state offices
The NREMT begins registration of First Responders.
The NREMT works with the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania on
revision of the EMT-Intermediate and EMT-Paramedic curricula.
1998
The NREMT Board approves formation of the Longitudinal EMT Attribute Demographic
Study (LEADS) project committee to learn more about the important issues facing EMS
personnel and to help identify the critical issues affecting the profession.
1999
The NREMT Mission Statement is adopted -- To certify and register Emergency Medical
Services Professionals throughout their careers by a valid and uniform process
to assess the knowledge and skills for competent practice.
The NREMT adopts the EMT-Intermediate/99 level and retains Registry
certification of the EMT-Intermediate/85 until completion of the EMS Education Agenda for the Future
process has been completed.
The LEADS committee completes first survey and snapshot on EMS education.
2000
The Board of Directors adopts a Strategic Plan to help guide the direction of the organization.
The LEADS committee completes second survey and snapshot on EMS work life.
2001
The NREMT exams are now used by 43 states and territories as the sole basis for
certification at one or more levels.
The LEADS committee completes third survey and snapshot on EMS compensation.
2002
The NREMT increases fees for the first time since 1973.
The LEADS committee completes fourth survey and snapshot on EMS driving safety and health risk.
2003
The NREMT implements a Research Program for the betterment
of NREMT programs and to contribute to the EMS community.
The NREMT receives accreditation of all five levels of exams
from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, a certification
accrediting agency sponsored by the National Organization for Competency
Assurance.
The LEADS committee completes fifth survey and a post 9/11 survey.
2004
The LEADS committee completes sixth survey and snapshot on ambulance safety.
2005
The NREMT exams are now used by 46 states and territories as the sole basis for
certification at one or more levels.
The NREMT begins the process to transition from pencil-and-paper based exams to
computer based testing in January 2007.