New EMS rules adopted by the State of North Dakota recognize ambulance accreditation by The Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) such that agencies may request that the department consider it in compliance if fully accredited by the commission “or its equivalent.” NDCC Law 23-27-04, Section 33-11-04 on Issuance and renewal of licenses, Items 2. and 3. read: “A service may request that the department consider it in compliance with this chapter if it is fully accredited by the commission on accreditation of ambulance services or its equivalent. Services requesting their compliance with this chapter to be verified through an accrediting agency shall submit to the department a copy of the entire accrediting agency survey report. Subsequent accreditation or revisit documentation must be submitted prior to license renewal.” The full regulations can be viewed at: www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/html/33-11.html.

Tim Meyer, Director of the North Dakota Department of Health, Division of Emergency Medical Services, in Bismarck, commented, “CAAS accreditation meets or exceeds all of our state licensing standards. We want to encourage North Dakota ambulance services to raise the bar by becoming CAAS accredited.”

Mike Hall, Executive Director of F-M Ambulance in Fargo, North Dakota, a CAAS-accredited agency, noted that the change in the rules by the State of North Dakota recognizes the dedication of ambulance services that demonstrate a commitment to excellence. This change affirms that the CAAS standards meet or exceed the State regulations.

CAAS Accreditation is already recognized in the licensure process in Iowa, North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, and Michigan, and other states are reporting that they are giving the matter serious consideration. In many local areas of the country, CAAS is required in order to operate or to bid on ambulance service contracts. Information about CAAS and its accreditation program is available from staff headquarters by writing: CAAS, 1926 Waukegan Road, Glenview, IL 60025, or by visiting the CAAS web site at www.caas.org.

The Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) was formed in 1990 as a not-for-profit agency to be a standard bearer for medical transportation systems. It is sponsored by the American Ambulance Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the National Association of EMS Physicians, the National Association of State EMS Officials, the National Association of EMTs, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, with liaison representation from The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Accreditation signifies that ambulance services have met the “gold standard” determined by the ambulance industry to be essential in a modern emergency medical services provider.