Geriatric Education For Emergency Medical Services (GEMS)

Formed in 1975 and more than 32,000 members strong, the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) is the nation’s only organization solely dedicated to representing the professional interests of all EMS practitioners, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, emergency medical responders and other professionals working in prehospital emergency medicine. NAEMT members work in all sectors of EMS, including government service agencies, fire departments, hospital-based ambulance services, private companies, industrial and special operations settings, and in the military. NAEMT represents all EMS practitioners in promoting: • Greater understanding and appreciation by government agencies at the local, state and national levels of the role that EMS plays in our nation's health care, public safety, and disaster response systems. • Pay and benefits that reflects their professional training, responsibilities and dedication. • Leadership at the federal level that fosters and supports the delivery of quality EMS nationwide. • Adequate and sustainable funding for EMS in all locations. • Public policy that supports EMS practitioners and the patients they serve. Mr. Snyder has been involved in emergency medical services for thirty years, and currently holds the rank of EMS Lieutenant with the Baltimore County Fire Department. He has a master’s degree in gerontology from Towson University and is co-editor of Geriatric Emergency Medical Services (Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2003).