Enhance the Ability of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to transport patients with highly infectious diseases (HID) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the title of this funding opportunity?

The funding opportunity is titled "Enhance the Ability of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to transport patients with highly infectious diseases (HID)."

2) What kind of federal award is this?

This is a discretionary HHS cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement indicates substantial federal involvement, meaning the recipient is expected to work closely with HHS partners rather than operating independently.

3) Which HHS offices are associated with the opportunity?

The opportunity is described as being structured by HHS through ASPR/DHSP.

4) What problem is the program trying to solve?

The program focuses on the complexity and risk of moving confirmed or suspected high consequence infectious disease patients, especially when transfers cross jurisdictional lines. It highlights that safe transport requires coordinated decision-making, clear roles and permissions, and operational steps that hold up under real-world pressure, not just an ambulance and trained staff.

5) What diseases does the program focus on?

The program addresses "highly infectious diseases" and "high consequence infectious diseases (HID)," with Ebola used as a primary planning example.

6) How many awards are expected under this opportunity?

The FOA anticipates only one award nationwide (expected number of awards: 1).

7) What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $350,000.

8) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education.

9) What is the FOA identifier and CFDA number?

The opportunity is identified as EP IDS 16 003 under CFDA 93.078.

10) When was it posted and when does it close?

The opportunity was posted May 11, 2016, and the closing date is July 13, 2016.

11) What is the overall approach or model of work expected from the recipient?

The FOA is designed as a collaborative, technical-assistance style award. The recipient is expected to act as a primary technical expert and convener that supports states and local entities by producing broadly usable tools, exercises, and standardized assessments.

12) Is this funding meant to build up a single state program?

No. The FOA describes deliverables intended to be broadly usable across multiple states rather than a single-state operational buildout.

13) What are the main project outcomes required by the FOA?

The FOA lists three main outcomes: (1) an evidence-based State EMS High Consequence Infectious Disease Transport Plan Template; (2) a progressive set of exercises to test and evaluate HID transport operations; and (3) a standardized, state-by-state assessment of capacity and capability for ground transport of HID patients.

14) Are applicants required to address all required activities?

Yes. The implementation section is organized into three required activities, and applicants must address all of them.

15) What is Activity A?

Activity A focuses on building an evidence-based transport plan template that states can use to create or update intrastate and interstate transport plans for special pathogen patients.

16) What types of patient movement must the plan template cover?

The template is expected to cover both intrastate and interstate patient movements, including time and distance realities of ground transport between facilities and from designated airports to Regional Ebola and other special pathogen treatment centers.

17) What coordination does the FOA expect for interstate transport?

The FOA explicitly expects active coordination with public health and emergency management leadership and elected officials (including governors) so that patient movement across state lines is legally permissible and operationally agreed upon ahead of time.

18) What is expected regarding routing patients to treatment centers?

The FOA expects a clear written understanding for how patients from anywhere in the region will be routed to the appropriate treatment center, including a fallback plan if the designated center is at capacity.

19) Who should be engaged when developing the plan template?

The FOA calls for direct engagement with EMS agencies, state EMS officials, assessment and treatment hospitals, and regional treatment centers. It also emphasizes coordination with public health and emergency management leadership and elected officials.

20) What decisions about transport should the template help define?

The template should help define when ground transport is indicated and appropriate for special pathogen patients, based on engagement with EMS and healthcare partners.

21) Does the FOA address legal and regulatory barriers?

Yes. The awardee must review existing laws and regulations across states and jurisdictions to identify barriers to transport and propose ways to address them.

22) Does the plan template need to be evidence-based?

Yes. The FOA requires the awardee to review evidence-based best practices to ground the template in what is known to work.

23) What is Activity B?

Activity B addresses evaluation and readiness testing through exercises designed to test and evaluate HID transport operations.

24) What kind of exercise scenarios does the FOA require?

The FOA requires exercise scenarios that are challenging and realistic, specifically designed to uncover single points of failure (critical breakdowns that could cause the transport mission to fail or become unsafe).

25) How should the exercise program progress over time?

The FOA requires a deliberate progression from lower-intensity tabletop exercises (discussion-based planning and decision-making) to more demanding functional or full-scale exercises that simulate actual operations.

26) Are objective performance measures required for exercises?

Yes. The FOA requires the awardee to define exercise objectives and evaluation criteria so performance can be measured consistently rather than relying on subjective impressions.

27) What is the intent behind the exercise work?

The FOA frames exercises as a quality improvement tool intended to produce actionable findings and measurable preparedness gains.

28) What is Activity C?

Activity C requires a state-by-state assessment of ground transport capacity and capabilities for high consequence infectious disease patients.

29) What must the state-by-state assessment consider at a minimum?

At a minimum, the assessment must consider: availability of resources (trained personnel, specialized equipment, and appropriate vehicles), the current condition of relevant response plans, and outcomes and lessons learned from exercises.

30) How should the assessments be supported or validated?

The FOA indicates assessments should be grounded in tangible capabilities and validated, where possible, by exercise results rather than relying on plans on paper alone.

31) What is the practical goal of the state-by-state assessment?

The goal is to create a clear picture of readiness, gaps, and variation across states so stakeholders can prioritize improvements and align planning across jurisdictional boundaries.

32) Does the FOA specify every metric to be used in the assessment?

No. The FOA does not list every metric, but it makes clear the assessment should focus on tangible capabilities (resources, plans, and exercise findings).

33) What is the expected role of the awardee in relation to states and local entities?

The awardee is expected to serve as the primary technical expert and convener supporting states and local entities by creating planning tools, designing evaluation exercises, and producing a standardized assessment of state capacity for ground transport.

34) Is the work focused on ground transportation specifically?

Yes. The FOA repeatedly references ground transport, including an assessment of state capacity for ground transportation of HID patients and planning for ground movement between facilities and from airports to treatment centers.

35) What broader category does this program fall under?

The FOA is placed within the broader science, technology, and other research and development activity category, reflecting that the main products are planning tools, evaluation methods, and capability assessments rather than direct service delivery.

36) What makes this FOA different from a typical service-delivery grant?

Based on the description, it emphasizes standardized, evidence-informed guidance, evaluation approaches, and multi-state usability. It is structured as technical assistance and coordination work, with federal partners closely involved through the cooperative agreement mechanism.

37) What types of situations is the work meant to improve readiness for?

The work is meant to reduce uncertainty and risk during special pathogen events, particularly when patient movement crosses jurisdictional boundaries and requires coordinated decisions, permissions, and operational steps under crisis conditions.