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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
09/26/2024 06:16 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20230&chamber=H&cosponId=43135
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House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: September 10, 2024 03:05 PM
From: Representative Tina Pickett and Rep. Martin T. Causer, Rep. Jonathan Fritz, Rep. Clint Owlett
To: All House members
Subject: Ensuring ambulance availability by providing a waiver for statutorily required staffing requirements
 
Imagine you or your loved one is facing a medical emergency, but when you dialed 911 there was no ambulance with sufficient staff to answer the call? In many communities in Pennsylvania, this scenario is distressingly close to coming to pass.

Despite the General Assembly’s efforts over the past several legislative sessions to support the emergency medical services system, EMS agencies in many communities—particularly in the rural areas of this Commonwealth—are having difficulty securing consistent emergency medical staffing that is required by the Emergency Medical Services System Act (see 35 Pa.C.S. Ch. 81).

In light of this staffing issue, Act 35 of 2020 and its follow-up, Act 72 of 2022, took steps to provide flexibility to emergency medical services agencies’ staffing requirements, while preserving the level of care necessary to safely transport patients in need. Still, more needs to be done.

Under the Emergency Medical Services System Act, the driver of an ambulance must maintain high levels of life support training, even if they are not actively engaged in patient care. Under our legislation, an advanced life support ambulance could operate with an emergency medical services provider who is certified as a paramedic or higher and a certified EMS vehicle operator. Further, a basic life support ambulance could operate with an emergency medical services provider who is certified as an emergency medical technician or higher and a certified EMS vehicle operator.

Because not every community faces the same level of staffing shortage, this legislation takes a regional approach, where each regional EMS Council would be placed in charge of applying for and overseeing this staffing waiver.

We look forward to working with you on this important legislation.
 



Introduced as HB2576


Memo Updated: September 10, 2024 03:06 PM