WHAT IS EMSPAC DOING TO ORGANIZE THE VOTE BLOC?
STAGE ONE: 1/23-3/23
Draft an EMS Policy Position. A Policy Brief of 3-10 key items we want politicians to support. Begin to organize a coherent voting block around politicians that support the concept of the proposed bill/pro-EMS legislation. This should accompany a wide array of media, infographics, and training to partner EMSPAC EMS with a para-lobbyist or lobbyist to articulate these issues to politicians or staff.
STAGE TWO: 3/23-5/23
Map out every district and place each elected official on an excel sheet to analyze where their district is and if they have ever taken a stance on EMS. Enlist assign 51 mobilizers to 51 districts and begin surveying the existing and new members.
- Each borough will have a Director (or appropriately titled role)
- Each District will have a Coordinator ( or appropriately titled role)
- We will initially focus on City Council races in NYC.
- Out of state/region EMSPAC units may adopt a differing alignment of jurisdiction engagement.
STAGE THREE: 5/23-5/24
Formally incorporate a 501(c)4 based in NYS with national franchises.
- Formation of a board that overlaps without serious COI with EMSPAC 501(c)3
- Distinct President, Treasurer
- Distinct bank account
- Distinct website
- OVERLAPPING ground operations with Advocacy, Communications, Public Affairs but NOT with Solidarity, Finance, or other 501(c)3 units
- Solicit donors and partner groups to build a 527 Fund for Lobbying in NYC/NYS
- Mobilize EMS MOS to engage their specific representatives on “POLICY BRIEF”/“EMS Bill of Rights” “EMS OMNIBUS BILL” issues and work to eventually get a version of it passed in City Hall and Albany.
KEY CONCEPTS
We should not let untrained grassroots supporters cold call ANY politicians. Do not call/email/meet with politicians until you have trained Advocates that can properly engage. With training and also materials and scripts. We can pair EMS MOS later with para-lobbyists/ lobbyists. But don’t let people free style most of the time it will be way off message.
Policy briefings have to always be short. Writing legislation is super complex and will require a trained person to do that properly. You definitely want a Policy Brief and Draft of Legislation completed. There need to be materials geared to members voting and materials geared to politicians’ staff.
The voting block concept is useful only if it is credible. You must have some ability to actually get these thousands of members and their families to vote, or move in a united way. You will likely have to hire mobilizers, mail remainders, post flyers, and pay people to “get out the vote”. Having a timeline of elections is KEY. Being able to pay Mobilizers to “get out the vote” with phone call reminders, texts, and emails is KEY. Try and find former City council Staffers and insiders to help you.
Identify the Jurisdictions; Community Board, City, State, and Federal.
Lobbying is about convincing a politician it is in their interest to do something; that interest comes from 3 things:
a) public perception/ pressure.
b) campaign financing.
c) alignment with their existing interests.
A politician/ or their staff has at most 15-30 minutes of attention for your issue maximum. Everything has to be precise and to the point. Do not use industry jargon or code speaking to them: Use plain speak.
- WHAT IS BEING ASKED?
- WHAT ARE YOU ASKING THE ELECTED OFFICIAL TO DO?
- WHERE DO THEY STAND ON EMS PARITY?
- WHERE DO THEY STAND ON MAKING EMS AN ESSENTIAL/ UNIFORMED SERVICE
- ON SAFETY?
- ON MENTAL HEALTH?
- ON BUDGETS?
Identify Politicians that have made prior pro-EMS statements. Present a Policy Briefing based on the following elements:
- What is the issue?
- Who are the beneficiaries and opponents?
- What are these changes going to cost $$$?
- What are you asking the politician to actually do?
Parity with Police and Fire is going to be very expensive! It is most likely going to only be 70-80% move to Parity, and will have to be phased in over time. EMS has different sectors/ segments funded completely differently, this will have to be a one big EMS Omnibus Law that will likely be whittled down or different laws per sector. It is always going to be easier to change a budget than to pass a new law.
- What laws might exist already for First Responders?
- Who sponsored them?
- What Politicians have made Pro-EMS Statements or Policies?
- What issues are similar to EMS Parity that may be bridges to convince them to vote?
An allied 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 is a powerful combination. We will also need a 527 later on. Our existing 501(c)3 can only use up to 20% or spend up to $5,000 on lobbying. It cannot endorse candidates. Our 501(c)4 is not tax-deductible but can organize pure issue Advocacy.
“Do not let people onto your boards who are not serious and who won’t contribute time, equity, and money. Boards should be as small as possible initially. Do not let people have symbolic titles, it degrades the seriousness of your group.”
A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of U.S. tax-exempt organization organized under Section 527 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 527). A 527 group is created primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates to federal, state or local public office.
Almost all political committees, including state, local, and federal candidate committees, traditional political action committees (PACs), “Super PACs”, and political parties are “527s”. However, in common practice the term is usually applied only to such organizations that are not regulated under state or federal campaign finance laws because they do not “expressly advocate” for the election or defeat of a candidate or party.
There are no upper limits on contributions to 527s and no restrictions on who may contribute. There are no spending limits imposed on these organizations. The organizations must register with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), publicly disclose their donors and file periodic reports of contributions and expenditures. Because they may not expressly advocate for specific candidates or coordinate with any candidate’s campaign, many 527s are used to raise money to spend on issue advocacy and voter mobilization.
Big well funded PACs don’t care about the ideology of politicians or parties. They frame the issue as a law, they hire a cut throat lobby team, they mobilize a base. They see what side a politician is on and if they don’t cooperate fund their opponent. The funding mechanism is called a 527 Fund. The PAC just organizes the players in the fund.
Ultimately the long term Parity Campaign is a combination of the following unique elements being in place:
- EMSPAC eventually seeks to represent a voting bloc of 15,500 EMS & their families capable of turning out 45,500 NYC Votes.
- REMEMBER: Most city council races are very very close with poor turn out.
- EMSPAC needs 3 to 5 trained Advocates in each of the +200 stations, bases, and garages able to mobilize the membership for key events like votes, rallies, and solidarity actions.
- We need distinct district coordinators (at least 51)
- EMSPAC has a 501(c)3 for hardship grants distributed to needy EMS/ EMS Family
- EMSPAC needs a 501(c)4 able to coordinate the outreach, public education, and member advocacy components.
- EMSPAC + 1199 + 2507 + 3621 + IAEP + CSEA + other allies eventually form a wider Political Action Committee (527 Group) with paid professional lobbying, combined activity, and unity around a Specific EMS Law, EMS Budget Framework, and Statewide Legislation.
- This Alliance forms a 527 Fund and hires a professional lobbying firm.
- This alliance also has to focus on OTHER MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS:
- Ambulance Company Owners
- Hospital Groups
- Organized Labor
- Employee Associations
- Patients/ Public
- EMS Educators/ Academies/ Schools
- Adjacent industry
- PBA
- UFA
- NYSNA
- 1199
The more stakeholders we include to enlarge the war chest ($) which also means the possible dilution of many of the articles of the bill.
- The obsession of the owners is greater reimbursement, followed by expansion of the market share of Mobile Integrated Care/ Community Paramedicine.
- Academic institutions seek an increased scope of practice through a BS/ MS program.
- The Campaign ultimately will focus on a Policy Brief of a Pro-EMS Agenda, a Citywide Budget increase to FDNY EMS, a Citywide/Statewide Wage Minimum for EMTs/Medics, and a plan for raising the educational requirements of EMS.
- All outside NYC area EMSPAC can franchise their own branch of the c3 or c4, but until they do they are under the governance and the SOPs of the 5 Divisions in NYC and its Board.
IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS
- Draft a Policy Brief 1-page (3-10 items max)
- Draft and Distribute a Pamphlet “Why EMS Should Vote Pamphlet/ Article”
- Hold a Meeting in MARCH to finalize the Brief and nominate a Board.
- Appoint one director per County/Borough
- Appoint 51 mobilizers/ coordinators in each council area
- Hold an EMPAC event to fund the incorporation and filing fees/ website (About $1,000)
- Map the NYC Area Districts
- Update an NYS Politician List
- Appoint a Director per borough or county, and coordinators/mobilizers per district.
- Develop a system for voter block registration
- Finalize scripts for call, email, meeting engagement
- Map out the key stakeholders
- FRAME A DEFINITIVE SOP for all EMSPAC lobbying on city, state, out of state, federal level.
- Launch the EMSPAC 501(c)4 by EMS Week 2024
WHAT DO WE WANT EMS MEMBERS TO DO TODAY?
- Follow this QR Code to find out who your elected officials are.
2. Commit to turn out and cast your vote when mobilizations occur.
3. Consider becoming a Mobilizer for your district reminding EMS in your area to vote when election days arrive!
4. DONATE TO EMSPAC 501(c)4:
EMS Lobbying Efforts (gofundme.com)