Fire departments and fire districts throughout the United States have received a solicitation letter from American Medical Response regarding federal ambulance and paratransit support services. The International Association of Fire Chiefs EMS Section has been in contact with Glenn Cannon, Federal Emergency Management Agency response division director, and FEMA subsequently has placed a hold on this initiative until it can review the work and recommendations of the Mutual Aid System Task Force.

The IAFC recommends individual fire jurisdictions hold their response to the AMR solicitation letter until the IAFC and FEMA identify if the fire service can fill the potential need. They expect to be able to resolve this issue and provide additional guidance by February 2007.

Chief John Sinclair, EMS Section chair; Chief Bill Metcalf, chair of the Emergency Management Committee (formerly MASTF); and the IAFC staff are working with FEMA to examine ways to meet the potential need for ambulance and paratransit resources.

If your agency has responded to this solicitation, especially if you have agreed to provide resources to AMR, the IAFC would like to know. Lucian Deaton, EMS manager/governmental relations for the IAFC, is tracking this issue and may be reached at ldeaton@iafc.org.