Public Service Training, or "PST", is the umbrella term for a group of programs related to maintaining the health, safety, and well-being of the general public including but not limited to- Firefighting, Emergency Medical Services, and Law Enforcement.

How important is Public Service Training? Well, the next time you pass an automobile accident, house fire, or medical emergency, there is a good chance that the person responding to the incident has received some or all of his/her training from the West Virginia Public Service Training program. To bring it even closer to home, if the unfortunate victim of one of these emergencies is you or a loved one, you can only hope that the responder has received the best training possible!

The EMS Performance Improvement Center is a satellite office housed within the Emergency Medicine Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The center is research oriented and funded through contracts, subcontracts, grants and agreements. Although the EMS Performance Improvement Center operates as an independent off-site entity in regards to routine and non-routine matters, it is linked for the purposes of state-wide coordination with the UNC Health Care System, Department of Emergency Medicine, and the lead facilities in multiple states including, the North Carolina Office of EMS (NCOEMS), the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC), the West Virginia Office of EMS (WVOEMS) and the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH). Through these venues, all counties within the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Mississippi are linked to the EMSPIC seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, in a variety of cutting-edge IT programs aimed towards comprehensive pre-hospitalization trauma and disaster services, coordination, policy-making, regulation, and research.

The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians serves as the National EMS Certification organization by providing a valid, uniform process to assess the knowledge and skills required for competent practice by EMS professionals throughout their careers and by maintaining a registry of certification status. As a non-profit, non-governmental, independent certification agency, the NREMT provides many areas of service including: 1) Entry level competency assessment 2) A Registry of Nationally Certified EMS providers 3) A Recertification process and 4) Research that benefits the EMS Community. The NREMT is not a membership association. Only those who successfully complete the National EMS Certification process are entered into the Registry of Nationally Certified EMS providers.

The Rural Emergency Trauma Institute (RETI) works with the WVOEMS to manage and operate the Medical Coordination Center (MCC) in Flatwoods, West Virginia.  This center receives medical communication calls from Region 5 pre-hospital EMS personnel in the field.  Staff at the MCC supports these pre-hospital personnel in the field confirming and communicating the correct treatment protocols and transport to the appropriate medical facility.

In addition, RETI's staff at the Medical Coordination Center accepts calls for perinatal transfer and provides a one-call line for radio technical support throughout West Virginia. Working with the professional staff in Flatwoods, RETI has developed a WVOEMS certified training center for the purpose of offering a variety of EMS classes and unique training opportunities for prehospital personnel statewide. RETI also provides access to communication and performance improvement courses to EMS personnel throughout the State of West Virginia.

Through the relationship with WVOEMS, RETI also has supported the development and enhancements to the State's Trauma Registry.  The State's Stroke Registry and program are currently in development and RETI supported the creation of this program through collaboration with WVOEMS.

RETI is located in Wheeling, West Virginia with a mission to support and improve West Virginia's Rural Trauma System through research and education.