By Bill Carey
EMS1 Staff
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A bill focused on the cost of education in EMS is moving quickly in the Alabama legislature. One notable aspect of the HB213 is its potential to provide full reimbursement for college expenses incurred by EMTs and paramedics.
Previously, only partial coverage for their educational costs was available. Chauncey Wood, the Governmental Affairs Legislative Liaison for the Alabama Rescue Squad Association, WBMA reported.
Wood said the funding would come from the state’s education trust fund and be paid out through the department or association the paramedic or EMT is affiliated with.
“It goes back even retroactive to take care of people that have gone through the course and already passed it,” Wood said.
Wood believes it could put 200-500 additional medics to work in Alabama. He said paramedics and EMTs pay approximately $2,000 to $5,000 and go to school for six months or over a year.
The bill has no opposition among legislatures and is expected to pass during the final days of the 2023 legislative session.