Here you will find helpful information regarding state and national EMS news and resources, tools/toolkits, and webinars. The EMS landscape can change rapidly. If there is pertinent information we could be sharing, please contact us.
The EMS Sustainability Task Force collaborated to create a Billing 101 Reference Guide to improve ambulance reimbursement in Idaho:
For additional information, reference the CMS Chapter 10 manual, Medicaid handbook, or the Idaho Medicaid website:
In 2023, a team of six contracted EMS Planners worked with the 44 Idaho counties to conduct environmental scans and document:
- Current EMS response capabilities, and
- Best practices, and
- Resource requirements for a sustainable, reliable EMS response
Their report, Emergency Medical Services in Idaho, is a yearlong effort from the team. The document is a county-focused resource assessment of the EMS systems throughout Idaho. The report can be found here.
For more information regarding the EMS Planners or the EMS Sustainability Task Force, click here.
The Bureau held a webinar to demonstrate the changes coming with the NEMSIS 3.5 transition. Below is a link to the video recording of that webinar:
The Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) seeks to establish, expand, train, and sustain the state, territorial, local and tribal (STLT) public health workforce to support jurisdictional COVID-19 prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery initiatives, including school-based health programs. Eligible applicants include Idaho-based nonprofits and 501c3 organizations which may include community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, tribal affiliated organizations, all educational schools from pre-K to colleges or universities, healthcare organizations including hospitals and clinics, and governmental organizations such as local health departments and municipalities registered to do business in the United States. Collaborative organizations may apply together, as long as one organization is identified as the primary lead and responsible for managing funds and deliverables. WFD Grant Application
The Public Health Preparedness and Response section budget period 4 grant opportunity for tribal partners. Grant Application
This funding announcement is for organizations to apply for funds to establish and operate mobile, offsite, and special COVID-19 vaccination clinics to target communities of high-disparity, high social vulnerabilities, underserved populations including racial and ethnic minority populations, rural communities, and those disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is urgency to make these COVID-19 vaccination services available to ensure equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine among all Idahoans. As such, it will be an expectation that these COVID-19 vaccination services will be operationalized within a maximum of 21 days after the sub-grant is awarded. The funds must support COVID-19 vaccine clinics/services that are extensions of the grant recipient’s normal clinic hours or locations. Funds may be used for the costs associated with operating and promoting the mobile/offsite/special COVID-19 vaccination clinic(s) such as personnel, travel, supplies, clinic promotion costs, and other related costs associated with establishing these clinics.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is IGEMS?
• IGEMS, or Idaho’s Gateway for Emergency Medical Services, is our online license management system. IGEMS is where all provider and agency licensure applications are located.
2. How do I get into my IGEMS account?
• If you have never logged into your IGEMS account and you are currently licensed, go to IGEMS, and click “Claim my Account” to get login information. If you have never logged in and you aren't licensed in Idaho, go to IGEMS, and click “Create an Account”.
3. I’m moving to Idaho from another state and I’m wondering how to become licensed in Idaho. What do I need to do and how do I apply for a license?
• You will need to create an IGEMS account and select the application for the appropriate license level you are trying to obtain. You will need to get a Criminal History Background check, submit verifications from other states or territories, and you may need to complete the NREMT assessment exam. For more specific instructions, visit our reciprocity page, which is found on the Provider Licensure page.
4. Can I transfer my license from my current state to Idaho?
• You may know that Idaho is a REPLICA state. Unfortunately, the rules do not allow us to take other REPLICA state licenses yet. You will need to complete the reciprocity process, which is found on the Provider Licensure page.
5. Why do I need to take the NREMT Assessment exam?
• You may be required to take the NREMT Assessment exam when applying for licensure in Idaho. To verify competency, Idaho requires you to take the exam based on the criteria below, regardless of your current status with the national registry:
i. EMR – must take assessment exam if standardized exam was not taken in the last 36 months
ii. EMT – must take assessment exam if standardized exam was not taken in the last 36 months
iii. AEMT – must take assessment exam if standardized exam was not taken in the last 24 months
iv. Paramedic – must take assessment exam if standardized exam was not taken in the last 24 months
6. Do I have to be affiliated with an EMS agency to get my Idaho license?
• Yes. You must be affiliated with a licensed Idaho EMS agency to get your Idaho license. However, if you are unable to find an agency to affiliate with, you may be eligible for a certificate of eligibility (CoE). A CoE states that you have met all requirements for licensure, except for an affiliation. When you find an agency to affiliate with, you can receive your license.
1. What do I need to do to apply for an initial EMS Agency License?
• If you don’t already have an IGEMS account, you will need to create one. After doing this, you will need to contact a field coordinator at the Bureau of EMS and Preparedness to create your new agency within our system. You will need to have the following information available at this time:
- Agency name
- Agency address
- Level of licensure you are applying for along with the operational declaration(s) you are interested in applying for.
2. Does the agency administrator need to be a licensed provider to have an IGEMS account?
• No, they will just need to create a profile and then they are able to be added to the new agency’s roster as an administrator. This will allow them to make changes within the agency profile and to upload required documents, update information, as well as build their roster.
3. How often does my agency license need to be renewed?
• Agency licenses are renewed annually.
4. What does the renewal process include?
• All agency administrators should receive notice 90 days prior to the agency license expiring
• Soon after receiving this notification, one of the field coordinators should be in contact to schedule a site visit to look at all appropriate documents and vehicles
• Once the site visit process is complete, the field coordinator will process the application and issue the renewed license if no immediate changes or recommendations were to be completed prior to the issuing of the new license.
5. Who can make updates to the agency roster?
• Agency administrators can update the agency roster by accessing the agency portion on their IGEMS account.
6. How do we add/remove/change agency administrators on our IGEMS account?
• Another agency administrator may add a primary contact or agency administrator by completing a roster role update.
7. What do we need to do if our boundaries change?
• You will need to complete an initial agency application that includes the updated boundaries. The only exception to this is if the boundaries are changing due to annexation. If this is the case, you will only need to notify the Bureau of EMS and Preparedness by phone or an email to idahoans.dhw.idaho.gov stating the changes that are going to take place.
8. Do we need to get new ambulances inspected after we have already been licensed as an agency?
• If you are not stocking by directly transferring supplies from a currently licensed ambulance, you will need to contact the Bureau of EMS and Preparedness to complete a new ambulance inspection. A list of the minimum equipment required for each level of licensure can be found on our website.
9. Why can’t I find the renewal application?
• You will need to be sure that you are listed as an agency administrator for the agency you are renewing. You will need to contact a current agency administrator in the agency and ask to have the “agency administrator” title added to your name on the roster.
1. Where do I get an agency vehicle fleet report?
• Contact the Bureau of EMS and Preparedness dedicated grant staff to obtain the needed printout of vehicles currently listed on the agency license. The printout will be mailed/emailed to you to complete and return with your application.
2. Where do I obtain “number of full time residents” information for my primary response area?
• Consider your local Chamber of Commerce, US Census Bureau, and your county assessor’s office as resources for this information. Depending on the nature of your response area and how many local governments are involved, it may take some effort to obtain this information.
3. What can I ask for under this grant program?
• Per Idaho Code §56-1018B this grant’s funds can only be used “exclusively for the purpose of acquiring vehicles and equipment for use by emergency medical services personnel in the performance of their duties.” The interpretation is that the equipment is durable equipment and does not include supplies that are consumed or disposable.
4. Where do I get information regarding type and quantity of EMS responses and run dispositions for the application?
• This information should be obtained from either your dispatch center clearly identifying that it only reflects EMS responses, or from your patient care reporting system, and the values will be verified against data in PERCS and/or IGEMS-PCR.
5. What information needs to be provided to the bureau relating to the use of the grant funds?
• An accounting form is located on the grants home page of the IdahoEMS website that has the required information regarding financial submissions. Remember, this grant follows the state fiscal year year, and everything must be completed and accepted by the bureau before June 30.
1. How do I sign up for a TRAIN user account?
• Log onto www.train.org. Click on “Select Location,” then “Create an Account,” which appears underneath the login on the left hand side of the screen. Review and accept the terms and conditions. Fill out the necessary information on the subsequent pages.(If you’d like, you can also fill in the optional information.) When you have finished, click “Continue” to enter the site.
2. I already have a TRAIN account with my state/affiliate TRAIN site. How do I also join the MRC-TRAIN site?
• Anyone can easily belong to both the MRC-TRAIN site and, where available, the state-affiliate TRAIN site. Once logged into TRAIN go to “My Account” and click the “Groups” tab. Click the “Edit” button and TRAIN will guide you through selecting both State and MRC Groups. Please be advised that if an MRC TRAIN user belongs to a state-affiliate TRAIN site the administrator from the given TRAIN state affiliate will have access to users' TRAIN learner record and personal profile.
3. How do I find courses to take?
• Click the “Course Search” link at the top of the screen. From this page you can click “Browse” to view all course offerings in TRAIN, or you can use any of the tools in the“Search Options” list to help narrow your results.
4. I cannot find required EMS courses in TRAIN.
• Course availability in TRAIN is based on your 'Group' settings. Make sure you have 'Idaho' and either 'Emergency Medical Services' or 'DUAL EMS/FIRE AGENCY' added to your 'Group' settings.
5. How do I find courses dealing with competencies?
• Click the “Course Search” link at the top of the screen and then click “By Competency” in the Search Options list. Check a box next to each competency you want to search on and click “Search” at the bottom of the page.
6. I've registered for a course - where do I find confirmation of this?
• All of your course registrations can be found by clicking “My Learning” from the home page. This will include all in-progress courses.
7. I've completed a course, but it still says "In Progress" in my "My Learning." How do I complete the course?
• Most courses require you to manually complete the course. To do so, go to “My Learning” and click the “M” icon next to the course name. This takes you to the course details page. Click the “Complete” button to complete the course. Some courses might have assessments, while others might ask you to enter a score manually. You are not required to enter a score.
8. I've completed my course and it is no longer in "My Learning" - where did it go?
• All completed courses are found in the “Transcript” page. You can find this link on the home page in the “My Learning Record” box.
9. I signed up for a "live" course and can no longer attend. Who should I contact?
• You are not required to contact anyone. You can withdraw yourself from any course by going to the course management page and selecting the “Withdraw” button.
10. How do I join online conversations I have been told about?
• Click the “Discussion Boards” link at the top of the screen. To the left will be names of various discussion boards – click the appropriate item to view and reply to conversations.
11. How do I find documents that have been posted in TRAIN?
• Most documents in TRAIN are posted in the resources module. Click “Resources” at the top of the screen and then review the various categories to the left. To view sub-categories, select the + box and the category will open up to show sub-categories. Select the category name to view the contents of any resource category. To view or download any resource listed, click the resource name.