Legislation and Funding
Legislation and funding issues always affect EMS budgets and operations. Use this topic to find out how the latest economic news is affecting EMS.
Ed Racht and Matt Zavadsky recount their EMS advocacy testimony to the U.S. House Committee
Guest host Rob Lawrence talks EMS advocacy: “We need voices. We need people. We need people to convey the message.”
Communication applications, tech allow real-time feedback on critically ill patients; enable error-insulated hospital reporting
Lockport’s council president called for an emergency meeting because of the number of mutual aid calls to VFDs last Thursday
“Half of Niagara County was left vulnerable” when calls were dispatched to volunteer fire companies requesting assistance in the city
Twin City Ambulance has said it cannot be Lockport’s main EMS service going forward, and the fire department is not allowed to run its own ambulance service
A new law lets municipalities exempt up to 10% of assessed value for a primary home for volunteer first responders
In his letter, Doug Dick, Superior Ambulance’s leader, threatened to add charges for calls and to stop responding in towns that do not pay more
A $10K bill for police expenses remains outstanding, the Sioux City finance director said
The agency will not receive its $1.27 million order for up to two years because of manufacturing delays
But House and Senate members may work together to alter the legislation prompted by a Cleveland firefighter’s death
The survivors have claims worth more than $10 million, attorneys for the families said
The city failed an audit and was left with about 800 claims on hold dating back up to five months, according to an internal investigation
With American Rescue Plan Act money, the city plans to offer $3,000 signing bonuses to 550 new hires
“Our worry is that this policy will only exacerbate the danger our members are faced with,” said FDNY EMS union Local 2507 leader Oren Barzilay
The state group also recommends addressing inadequate recruitment and retention in other ways and convening another commission
Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett said wants to be sure company changes and that she asked the fire chief to tell members to speak up if they witness misconduct
Ohio House members added an amendment requiring a minimum 5-year prison sentence when the victim is a firefighter or EMS provider
The text option for 988 and the chat feature on 988lifeline.org remained functional as work was done to restore the phone service
“Our guys did exactly what they were trained to do,” Vermilion Fire Chief Bill Brown said, describing how firefighters, officers and EMS providers responded
The state is no longer accept new applications and plans to increase funding by $76.6 million while implementing a tiered system
The department must implement a plan to hire more women and non-white firefighters and upgrade stations to accommodate women’s privacy
The firefighters and EMS providers are also seeking damages they say they are owed from having to work desk jobs, which pay less, for 18 months
The decision is a win for a group of retired EMS providers, firefighters, officers and others who said an Advantage plan would water down their health coverage
Santa Barbara County must respond following the protest and AMR’s response
Scott Martin, an Air Force veteran who worked at the Buffalo Fire Department for 12 years, said he uses cannabis to treat PTSD and pain
The city could add a second EMS agency or could merge the service with the city’s fire-rescue department
“We’re very happy about it as you can imagine, fuel costs being what they are right now,” said Executive Director Stacey Hicks of the Princeton Rescue Squad
Learn more about how much can be recouped from suspended payments and how to take advantage of the appeal process
Agencies have been struggling with declining staffing levels, poor Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates and high operating costs
Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jake Pawlak blames the delay on inflation, high material costs and the worsening condition of on-site buildings
The company does not admit liability and said it “strongly disputes” allegations that its pharmacies improperly filled prescriptions for the painkillers
Officials said it’s unclear when work on the site might begin but said costs were rising and additional grant money would be needed
