| *TRAFFIC TECH* |
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|                | Technology Transfer SeriesNumber 105, September 1995 |

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## FIRST   RESPONDER   NATIONAL STANDARD CURRICULUM REVISED

 

At   the core of the success of an emergency medical services system (EMS) is the   training given to the providers who initiate emergency care. There are more   than 700,000 professionals who provide emergency prehospital care to victims   of illness and injury across   the United States. The *First Responder: National Standard Curriculum*   is the new name for the revised and updated *Emergency Medical Services First   Responder Training Course (1978).*

Throughout the country, police,   fire and EMS First Responders are trained to the National Standard Curriculum.   These professionals include public service First Responders and three levels   of Emergency Medical Technicians -- Basic, Intermediate, and Paramedic. The   foundation curriculum for   their prehospital training   is the *EMT-Basic: National Standard Curriculum*. 

Medical arts and technology are   rapidly advancing fields and new life saving techniques have been developed.   The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is responsible for   developing training courses that are responsive to the guidelines established   by the Highway Safety Act of 1966 as amended. Courses developed to date provide   national guidelines for training and, in most cases, have been incorporated   into state legislation. Although states modify these programs to meet their   individual requirements, all states use the NHTSA National Standard Curricula   as a basis for their training. The NHTSA training materials must be accurate,   current, and consistent with guidelines and practices accepted nationally.

In January 1990, NHTSA conducted   a national consensus workshop on Emergency Medical Services training programs   to identify training needs, establish training priorities, and review and rank   existing curricula for revision. This conference led to the revision of the   *EMT-Basic: National Standard Curriculum*, which was released in 1994,   and the development of the *National Emergency Medical Services Education   and Practice Blueprint*. These two programs form the foundation and the road   map for future EMS curricula development. The revised *First Responder*   curriculum evolves from the *EMT-Basic* curriculum, following the Blueprint   to effectively bridge sequential core curricula.

The *First Responder* course   includes the same general content as the *EMT-Basic* course but is intended   for public service law enforcement, fire, and EMS rescue agencies that do not   necessarily have the ability to transport patients or carry sophisticated medical   equipment. It excludes**the equipment and transportation knowledges and   skills sections. Both revised course materials are based on task analysis of   interventions and outcomes for both provider and patient. They differ from the   earlier curricula in that they are assessment rather than diagnosis-based, are   organized by task, and focus on essential operational and medical content.

In revising the curriculum, the   project staff sought the help of educational design experts, a curriculum development   group, and Medical Directors. Representatives of the major national EMS organizations   and a large contingent of outside reviewers participated. The revised curriculum   was pilot tested in urban   and rural settings in North Carolina and Minnesota to assess the design and   content changes. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the US Department of   Health and Human Services joined with NHTSA to fund the curriculum development   and pilot testing. Improvements to the curriculum were made as a result of these   pilot tests.

The course remains at about 40   hours of instruction. The move to an assessment-based curriculum makes the revised   materials significantly different from previous versions. During the transition   period, there will be some providers who were trained with the 1978 version   and new First Responders trained with the new curriculum. Those trained under   the older version will have   to complete a transition course to learn the new skills and subjects.

Following initial distribution   to State Emergency Medical Services offices, the Course   Guide and Instructor Lesson Plan   of the *First Responder: National Standard   Curriculum* may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents,   Government Printing Office, PO Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954, or telephone   orders may be placed at (202) 512-1800.

For more information, contact   John Chew, Emergency Medical Services Division, NHTSA, NTS-42, 400 Seventh Street,   S.W., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-5440.

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 U.S. Department   of TransportationNational   HighwayTraffic   SafetyAdministration400 Seventh Street, S.W. NTS-33Washington, DC 20590

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Linda Cosgrove, Ph.D., Editor,     Evaluation Staff Traffic   Safety Programs(202) 366-2759