The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (National Registry) remains committed to supporting public protection and professional standards through transparent, thoughtful collaboration with the communities we serve. As part of this commitment, we have invited public comment on a proposed policy that defines and further limits eligibility for the proficiency evaluation—a service historically provided to meet specific regulatory needs.
Understanding History and Purpose of the Proficiency Evaluation
The proficiency evaluation is not a new service. For more than two decades, it has supported state regulators in specific situations involving reciprocity, quality assurance, and instructor clinical competence. It was also briefly used as a tool to help states ensure accreditation of all paramedic programs. In each case, the evaluation functioned as a means of verifying competency, helping regulators fulfill their responsibility to protect the public.
Our Continued Commitment to Public Service
The National Registry is engaged in ongoing efforts to reduce variability, eliminate barriers where appropriate, and acknowledge the distinct but complementary roles of regulators, certifiers, and the Clinicians we all serve. The proposed policy under public comment continues this work by providing clarity as to the intended purpose of the proficiency evaluation and by narrowing the criteria for the proficiency evaluation, reinforcing our belief that certification and licensure pathways should be clearly defined and aligned with public protection priorities.
Your Feedback Matters
We deeply value the voice of the EMS community and believe that public comment plays a vital role in shaping effective, fair, and responsive policy. Over the years, input from the field has led to meaningful improvements in both policy and service delivery.
To date, we have heard a primary concern from the public comments that the proficiency evaluation may be used to circumvent the state or accreditation advanced placement processes and subsequently, the results will be used to obtain a license. That is not the purpose of the proficiency evaluation. Rather, it is to assist state regulators who need to independently verify a Clinician’s competence, namely as part of EMS instructor credentialing, through quality assurance issues, and for reciprocity requirements where states have codified requirements to verify an applicant’s competence if a certain time has passed since initially obtaining national certification. Further, the proficiency evaluation can, in no way, lead to national certification.
If you have recommendations – whether specific refinements to the proposed policy or broader considerations, we strongly encourage you to share that perspective. That is precisely the purpose of public comment periods: to ensure that diverse viewpoints are heard and thoughtfully considered. The National Registry’s Assessment Committee and Board of Directors will be meeting in June and reviewing comments at that time.
Go to Public Notices
We encourage all interested stakeholders to review the proposed changes and share their feedback during this comment period. Thank you for your continued interest in our nation’s EMS system!
*The Proficiency Evaluation was formerly known as the Assessment Examination.
Media Contact:
Shane Cartmill
Public Relations and Media Manager
scartmill@nremt.org
About the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
The National Registry, established in 1970 as a non-profit organization, is the Nation’s Emergency Medical Services Certification organization. The National Registry is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. The National Registry maintains NCCA accreditation for each of the four certification programs: Emergency Medical Responder (NREMR), Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (NRAEMT), and Paramedic (NRP). Credentialing protects the public, assures consumers that professionals have met standards of practice, advances the EMS profession, and establishes standards of professional knowledge, skills, and practice. Additional information is available at NREMT.org and LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.