AASM to attend NHTSA meeting on fatigue risk management for EMS personnel

Representatives from the AASM will attend a meeting led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to discuss a new initiative by NHTSA to develop voluntary evidence-based guidelines for fatigue risk management tailored to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) occupation. Comments from the public also will be discussed during the meeting, which will be held Feb. 2 in Washington, D.C., and will include presentations by NHTSA and other stakeholders.

Presentations will address:

1. A brief overview of the potential dangers of drowsy and fatigued driving and the work of EMS practitioners, including the risk of traffic crashes and impact on patient care
2. A summary of the project goals and methods for coming to consensus on fatigue risk management guidelines
3. The plan for dissemination of guidelines
4. Additional project-related activities and information

Members can view more information about the Developing Evidence Based Fatigue Risk Management Guidelines for Emergency Medical Services meeting in the Federal Register, which also provides instructions for submitting comments.