Section 1552 is excessive & in no way is going to make a better EMS Educator.  You're trying to force all education into colleges & schools of higher education, where many of those instructors work fulltime, not in EMS daily, where they can provide INVALUABLE field experiences & knowledge.  I don't want someone educating me or other EMS providers who hasn't spent a day working or volunteering on the trucks. Who concocted this crazy idea for additional hours of education? The very people who are college & schools of higher education EMS instructors of course, they sat on the committee who made the decisions for this!  I smell a rat in the stew.  This very regulation, listed on the Regulatory Town Hall, says 2 years, read it for yourself.  But Mr. Greg Nieman from VA OEMS said in an email last week "It is every 3 years instead of 2 since the EC is a 3 year cert, but the exam is an administrative exam".  THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THEIR OWN DOCUMENTS OR WHAT THEY READ ON THE REGULATORY TOWN HALL.  What's written on the TOWN HALL is what the regulation WILL BE unless comments change that.  That's what the governor signed!  He signed the 2 year cert, not 3.

Agencies, chiefs, department heads, government officials all need to take note to what is about to unfold here.  Your budgets will sail through the roof as EMS Instructors give up & quit due to these excessive requirements of going to college 12 hours every 2 years.  Who can afford that when the average credit hour is about $400/per hour x 12 hours EVERY 2 years! Then, you will NOT be able to have your own CE programs in your own department!  You will have to go to college just to get your regular provider CE!  WAKE UP PEOPLE, unless you have unlimited EMS training budgets, who is going to pay for this?  Whether volunteer or career it doesn't matter, the costs will be astronomical & equal nothing less than an UNFUNDED MANDATE which is the government, once again, making another law/regulation that costs tax payers/real working people, more money.  

Testing of the EMS educator is new requirement that is unfounded, with no supporting data.  NO OTHER MEDICAL OR PUBLIC SAFETY FIELD OF INSTRUCTORS REQUIRES RETESTING IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO TEACH, NONE!  This is another example of excessive, over zealous governemnt workers adding in a bunch of junk that does not hold any merit.  "Hi, I'm from the government & I'm here to help you", seems to come to mind.  

GET SMART VIRGINIA~ REMOVE SECTION 1552 from the EMS regulations & LEAVE IT THE WAY IT CURRENTLY IS, excessive changes are not required, costly & equal an unfunded mandate & excessive hardship to a financially struggling industry as it is.