About The IBSC & The BCCTPC
In the mid-1990's, a credentialing process for paramedics working as part of critical care transport teams was born. With support of the NFPA (now the IAFCCP), Graham Pierce, and a few close colleagues, sharing the same vision, assembled a team of experts to create what would be the first iteration of the Certified Flight Paramedic (FP-C) exam.
After the initial exam launch, it was decided the exam body would need to be independent of any other organization or board that could create bias or influence with the direction of the exam. Thus, the Board for Critical Care Transport Paramedic Certification was formed in the summer of 2000.
After the success of the FP-C exam, the BCCTPC, at the behest of critical care ground paramedics, developed the CCP-C exam to quantify and evaluate the domain of knowledge unique to paramedics practicing in non-flight environments.
The third examination in the BCCTPC family was the development of the TP-C headed up by a panel of subject matter experts led by Col. Andre Pennardt, MD (US Army, retired). This panel guides ongoing development of the TP-C examination process and the new Certified Tactical Responder (TR-C), to ensure paramedics and tactical medics working as part of elite military and law enforcement units have a validated and accredited standard that is proof of their knowledge and expertise in providing advanced level care in austere and hostile environments.
In 2015, the BCCTPC developed two exams under contract. The Certified Community Paramedic (CP-C) was developed in cooperation with the North Central EMS Institute and The Paramedic Foundation. Community Paramedicine is an emerging healthcare delivery model that increases access to basic services through the use of specially trained emergency medical service (EMS) providers in an expanded role.
A safety exam was developed in cooperation with the Association of Air Medical Services' (AAMS) Safety Management Training Academy (SMTA). The Certified Medical Transportation Safety Professional (MTSP-C) evaluates the candidate on the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill the Safety Officer role of transport programs, as well as to improve each team members understanding of safety management systems. Since neither of the exams dwell in the critical care medicine realm, the BCCTPC recognized that a change was needed in the structure of the Board.
In January of 2016, the BCCTPC moved to expand its role within specialty certifications, thus forming the International Board of Specialty Certification. The IBSC seeks to provide certification exams to a broader audience, including the U.S. & foreign militaries, federal, state and local EMS officials and government EMS agencies, air medical programs, ambulance companies, medical centers, EMS education institutions, municipal fire and police agencies, and other areas that already or may require specialty certification around the globe. The BCCTPC will retain oversight of the critical care exams while it serves as a subsidiary of the IBSC, specializing in transport and tactical paramedicine. Other exams, like the CP-C and MTSP-C will be supervised by independent advisory boards for each domain.
In 2021, the IBSC was approached by professionals from the wilderness medicine community about the feasibility of creating specialty certification for the paramedic/practitioner operating in an austere, remote, and/or wilderness setting. We are excited to announce that an exploratory group of subject matter experts (SMEs) have worked diligently for to create the framework for a board certification examination. Beta testing started in September 2022 and the exam is expected to launch for everyone in January 2023.
Professional Accreditation
The IBSC is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). The NCCA Standards were developed to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public. These standards highlight the essential elements found in a high-quality certification examination program.
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