What is Western Mass Emergency Medical Services (WMEMS)?

Updated

Western Mass Emergency Medical Services (WMEMS) is a regional nonprofit corporation that works to improve emergency medical services for residents of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties in western Massachusetts. It is designated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and serves as Massachusetts EMS Region 1, coordinating communication and setting quality standards among ambulance services, first responders, and hospital emergency departments.

What WMEMS does

WMEMS operates as a regional coordinating body rather than a direct provider of emergency care. Its stated work includes:

  • Coordination — facilitating communication among EMS providers across the four-county region
  • Standards — evaluating and setting quality standards for regional EMS
  • Training and education — offering training, education, and medical services research opportunities
  • Protocols and policies — developing appropriate protocols and policies for implementation

Who it serves and represents

WMEMS covers Region 1 of Massachusetts' five EMS regions. That territory includes:

Area Coverage
Berkshire County Included
Franklin County Majority included
Hampden County Included
Hampshire County Included

The committee seeks broad representation on its board from the communities and constituencies it serves, including consumers, municipal governments, hospitals, ambulance services, and other EMS providers.

Meeting access

All meetings are currently virtual until further notice, held primarily on the Zoom platform. This follows Governor Baker's executive order of 3/12/2020 suspending or altering Open Meeting Law requirements under MGL 30; legislation extending those requirements to June 30, 2027 has been signed by the Governor.

To attend, you must request the meeting link from WMEMS no later than 24 hours before the meeting start time. If or when in-person meetings are scheduled, the location will be posted on the WMEMS calendar.

When this matters to you

WMEMS is relevant if you are an EMS provider, municipal official, hospital representative, or community member in western Massachusetts looking to engage with regional EMS standards, training, or policy — or if you need to attend a regional EMS meeting and want to know how to get the link. It is not a public emergency number; for an emergency, contact local emergency services directly.