ID
3-508-1236
Name
Emergency Medical Services Task Force
Status
Published
Version
1.5
Updated
11/15/2019 5:47:37 PM
Original Release
06/19/2018
Last Major Release
11/15/2019
Description
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Task Force is an operational grouping of EMS resources for a medical mission with common communications and a leader that interfaces with the supported healthcare resources
Resource Category
Emergency Medical Services
Primary Core Capability
Public Health, Healthcare, and Emergency Medical Services
Secondary Core Capability
 
Resource Kind
Task Force
Overall Function
The EMS Task Force: 1. Provides a range of emergency medical services, such as assessment, treatment, and transport, of a wide range of patients, including complex and critical patients, using a range of vehicles, staff, equipment, and supplies 2. Delivers EMS within a variety of functional capacities, such as: a. Servicing gatherings of large populations, including those in austere or remote environments b. Augmenting jurisdictional prehospital EMS resources c. Supporting interfacility treatment and transport
Composition and Ordering Specifications
1. Discuss logistics for deploying this task force, such as working conditions, length of deployment, security, lodging, transportation, and meals, prior to deployment 2. Discuss integration with local EMS resources 3. The number of resources necessary depends on the nature of the mission, logistics, intensity of demand, duration of service activity, and allowance for rest periods 4. A Type 3 EMS Task Force consists of Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) resources and a task force leader 5. A Type 2 EMS Task Force also includes logistics and command resources; while this document reflects only the addition of command and logistics personnel, task forces may include additional lighting vehicles, high-capacity medical buses, and other equipment 6. A Type 1 EMS Task Force also includes critical care and advanced medical capabilities for treating and transporting high acuity patients; while this document reflects only additional medical personnel, task forces may include critical care air ambulances and other specialty equipment 7. Requestor and provider should discuss: a. The need for specialized capabilities, including hazardous materials response, neonatal care, or high-level infectious disease treatment b. Vehicle maintenance needs c. Medical oversight for this task force d. The need for additional resources, such as specialty medical buses, ambulance strike teams, emergency care teams, mobile medical units, fixed and rotary wing air ambulances (critical or non-critical care), personnel and equipment for treatment and transport of unique or specialty medical needs, and law enforcement e. Mission duration, operating hours, and the need for additional personnel to ensure an appropriate work-rest ratio and personnel safety
Supporting Core Capabilities
None
Components
Component Notes  
Minimum Personnel Per Task ForceNot Specified
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 129
Type 225
Type 311
Management and Oversight Personnel Per Task Force1. For a Type 1 task force, the EMS Medical Officer should be an emergency medical or critical care physician (board certified or board eligible); alternatively, a board-certified emergency medical or critical care physician should be available remotely for consultation. 2. Request additional division/group supervisors as needed to support management and oversight of specific task force functions.
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 1Same as Type 3, PLUS: 1 – National Incident Management System (NIMS) Type 1 EMS Medical Officer 1 – NIMS Type 1 EMS Operations Officer
Type 2Same as Type 3, PLUS: 1 – NIMS Type 2 EMS Medical Officer 1 – NIMS Type 2 EMS Operations Officer
Type 31 – NIMS Type 1 EMS Task Force Leader
Support Personnel Per Task Force1. Request aeromedical transport teams – either rotary wing or fixed wing – separately. 2. Registered nurses on Type 1 teams should have specialty certification, training, or daily practice in critical care. 3. Transporting critical care patients may require additional resources and clinicians.
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 1Same as Type 2, PLUS: 2 – NIMS Type 2 Registered Nurse
Type 2Same as Type 3, PLUS: 5 – NIMS Type 1 Paramedic 5 – NIMS Type 1 Ambulance Operator 1 – NIMS Type 1 EMS Logistics Officer 1 – NIMS Type 1 Communications Unit Leader
Type 32 – NIMS Type 1 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) 2 – NIMS Type 2 Ambulance Operator 3 – NIMS Type 1 Paramedic 3 – NIMS Type 1 Ambulance Operator
EMS Capability Per Task ForceNot Specified
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 1Same as Type 2, PLUS: Critical care
Type 2Same as Type 3, PLUS: Command and logistics
Type 3ALS and BLS
Transportation Equipment Per Task Force1. Ambulances should be state licensed or certified and be of a type and size that matches the need. 2. Request additional vehicles as needed for command and logistics capabilities.
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 1Same as Type 2
Type 2Same as Type 2, PLUS: 5 – Ambulance 1 – Logistics vehicle 1 – Command vehicle
Type 35 – Ambulance 1 – Command vehicle
Emergency Medical Equipment Per Task ForceNot Specified
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 1Same as Type 2
Type 2Same as Type 3
Type 3Range of supplies, including pharmaceuticals, commensurate with the mission assignment
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Per Task Force MemberThe following regulation addresses PPE: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910.132: Personal Protective Equipment.
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 1Same as Type 2
Type 2Same as Type 3
Type 3PPE is mission specific and may include: 1. Gloves 2. Protective clothing 3. Protective footwear
Communications Equipment Per Task ForceConsider alternate forms of communication, such as satellite phones, based on the mission assignment and task force needs.
Component Types
Type Attribute
Type 1Same as Type 2
Type 2Same as Type 3
Type 31. Short-range, two-way portable radio (one per team member) 2. Cell phone (one per unit
650650650
Notes
References
Reference
FEMA, NIMS 508: Ambulance Strike Team
FEMA, NIMS 508: Emergency Care Team
FEMA, NIMS 508: Air Ambulance Fixed Wing Critical Care
FEMA, NIMS 508: Air Ambulance Fixed Wing Non-Critical Care
FEMA, NIMS 508: Air Ambulance Rotary Wing Critical,
FEMA, NIMS 508: Air Ambulance Rotary Wing Non-Critical Care
FEMA, NIMS 509: Ambulance Operator
FEMA, NIMS 509: Emergency Medical Services Task Force Leader
FEMA, NIMS 509: Emergency Medical Services Logistics Officer
FEMA, NIMS 509: Emergency Medical Technician
FEMA, NIMS 509: Emergency Medical Services Medical Officer
FEMA, NIMS 509: Emergency Medical Services Operations Officer
FEMA, NIMS 509: Communications Unit Leader
FEMA, NIMS 509: Registered Nurse
FEMA, NIMS 509: Paramedic
FEMA, National Incident Management System (NIMS), October 2017
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910.132: Personal Protective Equipment, latest edition adopted
OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910.134: Respiratory Protection, latest edition adopted
OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910.1030: Bloodborne Pathogens, latest edition adopted
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Emergency Medical Services Scope of Practice, 2007