Volunteer EMS
All caregivers can find solace in small victories and salvation in providing comfort to those who are suffering
Becoming a paramedic is the highest level of prehospital care and requires much more advanced training than becoming an EMT
OMI President Felix Marquez shares how VR training is helping rural Florida EMS agencies maintain critical pediatric emergency skills
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed House Bill 2014, letting 14- and 15-year-old volunteers train until 10 p.m. on weekends and summer breaks instead of 9 p.m. and ride in emergency vehicles to calls, aiming to ease scheduling barriers amid a sharp decline in the state’s volunteer EMS and fire ranks
Virginia Beach’s “compassionate billing” program, which doesn’t charge residents co-pays or deductibles, funded seven new ambulances and 43 new EMS hires while distributing $4.2 million to volunteer rescue squads that had struggled to keep pace with rising equipment costs
Rep. Brenda Pugh’s Bill 2848 would provide grants of up to $25,000 every three years to small fire companies and incentivize voluntary consolidation, building on her earlier bill that offered a $6,000 tax credit for firefighters and EMS personnel
Wayne and Roberta Seely, in their 80s, are retiring after spending nearly two years and sending 800 letters trying to find enough volunteers to keep Dennys River Ambulance Service running
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new law raises the annual personal income tax credit from $200 to $800 starting in 2027, as volunteer ranks statewide hit a 40-year low, falling from 120,000 in 2000 to 80,000 today
The council recommends two round-the-clock ALS crews under Ottumwa Regional Medical Intensive Care Services, backed by Ottumwa Fire Department, plus a rural volunteer response network ahead of a potential funding levy vote
Seven specialized units, from mountain rescue to search dogs, respond to more calls than any other jurisdiction in Washington state, with volunteers logging hundreds of unpaid hours
The proposed $1 million tax would fund round-the-clock EMS staffing in the rural town, adding $332 a year for a $200,000 property, as New York towns statewide struggle with shrinking volunteer EMS
Mount Vernon-Lisbon area voters approved a new property tax levy with 92% support to fund additional full-time EMS staff, maintain paramedic coverage and improve response times
Somerset County officials and volunteer fire chiefs are developing a policy that would allow EMS crews to assist with hoses, hydrants and equipment while remaining available for patient care
HazMat 2 Environmental Fire Rescue will transition to an educational foundation a year after its decades-long partnership with Lancaster County ended
Volunteers who log at least 200 hours will pay $1 per $100 of assessed vehicle value as Montgomery County works to improve retention
A New Hampshire woman said yes after her hiking companion proposed while rescuers prepared to carry her off Mount Kearsarge
The Harford County Council overrode a veto to increase monthly LOSAP payments for eligible volunteer first responders despite concerns about the review process
Pleasant Mount Emergency Services will end operations as volunteer shortages and financial challenges force the rural ambulance service
Suttontown EMS will use a $4,000+ grant to add emergency warning lights to a donated former sheriff’s K-9 vehicle
Thousands of convenience stores across the U.S. will offer free coffee, drinks, or snacks to uniformed first responders on July 24 as part of the 2025 24/7 Day
David Rykala has spent five decades serving as a firefighter, EMT and paramedic while helping lead the Conemaugh Valley Regional Ambulance Association
Volunteer search and rescue leaders say local agencies are waiting too long to request specialized teams
Searsmont EMS Chief Sarah Tompkins remains hospitalized with severe burns from the Robbins Lumber explosion that killed two firefighters
Somerset County fire chiefs are arguing that county EMS crews are often first on a fire scene and could help departments facing staffing shortages
Fort Covington EMS added a new Ford ambulance to its fleet and held a barbecue fundraiser during the townwide yard sale to help cover the cost
The bill would raise state income tax credits for active volunteer firefighters and ambulance corps members and allow them to receive local property tax exemptions
A new report warns that cuts tied to the Big Beautiful Bill could push nearly 100 rural hospitals toward closure, increasing transport times and straining EMS systems
Salt Creek Emergency Services, a volunteer department, relies on donated vehicles and a small budget as repair bills, fuel costs and equipment needs continue to climb
EMS leaders say the grant-funded program could save trauma patients in rural Somerset County, but local officials worry taxpayers may be left covering the cost
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