The Challenges Ahead

Anniversaries of tragic events open up a floodgate of emotions. Like a time machine, they take us back to when we first heard of a terrible loss and became aware that life would never be the same.

   For all Americans--and particularly EMS providers, firefighters and police--that awareness came at 8:46 a.m. EDT on September 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower, followed by United Airlines Flight 175, which hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.

   In the days, months and years that followed, public support for those who "protect and serve" swelled and grant monies flowed--although not always to EMS--in order to get and keep the nation prepared for the ever-present terrorist threat. Training programs were implemented, mass disaster drills conducted and new equipment procured. We seemed to be on our way to getting better prepared when the current financial crisis hit.

   In the last couple of years, municipal budgets have been slashed, grant programs cut and public safety personnel laid off. The gains we made are quickly being eroded as training commitments fall to the wayside and agencies struggle to get through a "normal" day, while call volumes skyrocket and reimbursement rates crash.

   In "A Decade of Remembrance" starting on page 41, we sit down with some of the leading figures in EMS to discuss how we can navigate our way through the current stormy waters and achieve sustainability in our disaster preparedness efforts. All our experts agree that regionalization is a concept that needs to be embraced in order for us to maintain our current level of preparedness. We owe it to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on that sunny September morning to commit to doing our best with whatever cards are dealt.

   As we approach the 10th anniversary of the most atrocious terrorist attack on our nation, our thoughts and prayers are with the family members and friends forever mourning their loss.