EMS News
Need the most up-to-date news on prehospital field operations, staffing, training, management and provider safety? Catch up on the latest industry news on EMS1.
BREAKING NEWS
After dozens of paramedics and officials urged the county to abandon its competitive bidding process, supervisors voted to have staff compare that approach against amending San Luis Ambulance’s existing contract before the RFP is expected to launch in January 2027
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Officials cited an “additional administrative process requirement” in delaying the competitive portion of the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program’s second-year funding, frustrating state leaders who had expected amounts by Oct. 31
A 2019 memo warning that AI could introduce bias based on accents, disabilities and race went unaddressed before the department began using the technology on live 911 medical calls in 2023, prompting experts to call for suspending its use until a public evaluation is completed
Strongsville voters approved a new levy to hire 12 firefighter-paramedics, North Royalton passed a renewal and increase generating $2.27 million annually, and Olmsted Falls renewed its existing fire levy while rejecting a separate income tax hike
El Dorado County voters rejected the proposed 30-year, three-eighths-cent sales tax increase, which would have raised an estimated $13 million annually for hospital upgrades, fire agencies, and wildfire prevention
Jackson County’s measure, which passed 36,228 to 26,783, will fund roughly $5.5 million in new 800-megahertz radios for all 641 fire and police radios countywide
EMT Lily Robbins, injured in the explosion at Robbins Lumber Mill that killed two first responders and severely injured EMS Chief Sarah Tompkins, was escorted home by volunteer first responders to a community welcome in Searsmont
Wadsworth’s five-year measure raises the EMS levy from 3 to 4 mills, generating about $2.52 million annually, as voters also approved cutting the city’s fire levy to help offset the increase amid surging emergency call volumes
LaFayette’s advisory measure failed by just 36 votes, with town leaders saying they won’t pursue the roughly $1 million tax that would have funded round-the-clock EMS staffing and cut average response times from 14 minutes to about six
TRENDING NEWS
COLUMNISTS & EXPERTS
From Washington’s political shakeup to local EMS tax levies — what election results may mean for the future of emergency medical services
“The next battle over ambulance reimbursement will not be won with emotional stories or clever slogans.”
The proposed rule highlights a long-standing disconnect: ambulance reimbursement pays for transports, while communities depend on agencies to maintain round-the-clock readiness
Whatever happens next in court, this tragic case leaves EMS with five hard-earned lessons that could save a patient’s life — and your career
Communicating with law enforcement and following these clinical guidelines will help to keep patient safety first and foremost
Kyle Busch’s death from pneumonia-related sepsis underscores why early recognition, rapid treatment and public education matter
PRODUCT NEWS
Integrated vending and smart locker solutions connect secure, automated access to critical supplies and equipment with centralized inventory and asset management
The platform lets air medical crews convert a LifePort AeroSled TS stretcher to carry a Dräger Isolette TI500 incubator in seconds, then revert it to standard use
Named a 2026 Innovation Award finalist, the new Type I delivers expanded workspace, increased storage, and crew-focused comfort
The proposal, separate from the handheld radio upgrade, would cover about 19% of mobile radios in police cars, fire trucks and ambulances, with no local funding match required