On the federal level

Last month, the federal government's role in emergency medical services from the late '60s to the present was discussed in "Decades of Change," the first of this two-part article on coordinating EMS agencies. State and local governments generally monitor emergency services within their region. Recently, the federal government has shown increasing concern over lack of coordination between EMS agencies. Senate Bill S-10 and the ASTM Committee F-30 on EMS are examples of recent governmental efforts to bring the various services in line. This month, Emergency brings you a more detailed summation of the federal government's involvement in the nation's emergency medical services. More than 10 federal agencies have been set up to assist EMS on state and local levels. This intriguing list of agencies, from the Department of Agriculture to the Veterans Administration, will offer insight into the growing trend toward development of national standards, as well as provide information on alternative funding and training resources.