Arizona Appoints Dr. Gail Bradley as Commissioner as the EMS Compact Takes Effect in Arizona
Arizona Seats Inaugural Commissioner as the EMS Compact Takes Effect in Arizona
Gail H. Bradley, MD, FACEP, FAEMS, Becomes the First EM/EMS Board-Certified Physician to Serve on the Interstate Commission
Download a PDF of this Press Release
Commissioner Bradley, Medical Director of the Arizona Bureau of EMS and Trauma System, was seated by the Commission on September 12, 2026, the day Arizona’s EMS Compact law took effect.
WASHINGTON, DC (12 SEPTEMBER 2026) — The Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice today announced the appointment of Gail H. Bradley, MD, FACEP, FAEMS, as Arizona’s inaugural Commissioner to the United States EMS Compact.
Commissioner Bradley was officially recognized and seated by the Commission on September 12, 2026, the same day Arizona’s EMS Compact law took effect. Dr. Bradley serves as Medical Director of the Bureau of EMS and Trauma System at the Arizona Department of Health Services, the state EMS authority, and was designated as Arizona’s Delegate and Commissioner by the Department on August 28, 2026.
Commissioner Bradley is board certified in both emergency medicine and emergency medical services, and she is the first EM/EMS board-certified physician to serve as a Commissioner of the Interstate Commission. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona (BS/MD) and completed her emergency medicine residency at Maricopa Medical Center, where she served as Chief Resident. Dr. Bradley currently serves as the Chair of the NASEMSO (National Association of EMS Officials) Medical Directors Council (MDC). In addition, Dr. Bradley is a member of the Technical Expert Panel that reviews and updates the National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines.
In her role as Medical Director of the Bureau of EMS and Trauma System, Commissioner Bradley serves as the state’s designated representative to the Commission. Her clinical, medical direction, and regulatory experience gives her a direct understanding of the workforce and public-protection issues the Compact is designed to address.
“We are pleased to welcome Commissioner Bradley to the United States EMS Compact Commission. Arizona has moved from enactment to a seated Commissioner on the day its law took effect, and Dr. Bradley brings the perspective of a practicing, board-certified EMS physician to the Commission table. We look forward to her contributions to advancing interstate EMS practice and protecting the public.”
— Kraig Kinney, JD, NRP, Chair, Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice
The EMS Compact Takes Effect in Arizona
Governor Katie Hobbs signed SB 1235 (57th Legislature, Second Regular Session) into law on June 19, 2026, making Arizona the 27th state to enact the EMS Compact. The legislation, codified at Arizona Revised Statutes §36-2259, took effect on September 12, 2026, and Arizona is now the 26th state in which the Compact is in force. The Commission again acknowledges Senator John Kavanagh for sponsoring SB 1235 and Representative Selina Bliss for her leadership on the companion House legislation, HB 2437.
With the Compact in force, qualified EMS clinicians licensed in other participating states hold a Privilege to Practice in Arizona, and Arizona-licensed EMTs, Advanced EMTs, and Paramedics will receive their Privilege to Practice in the other participating states as Arizona’s licensure data is integrated into the National EMS Coordinated Database. There is no application, card, or fee: the Privilege to Practice is automatic recognition under state law for clinicians who hold a current, unrestricted license and meet the Compact’s qualifications. The Arizona Department of Health Services retains full investigative and enforcement authority over every clinician practicing in Arizona.
For more information about the EMS Compact, participating states, or to validate an EMS clinician’s Privilege to Practice, please visit www.emscompact.gov.
About the Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice
The Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice is the governmental body established under the Recognition of Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA) to administer and enforce the Compact across Participating States. The Commission is committed to protecting the public while advancing a mobile, qualified EMS workforce nationwide. For more information, visit www.emscompact.gov.
###