Three years ago, I proposed House Bill 2097 to help our emergency responders cut through government red tape and strangling regulations so that they could more effectively save the lives of our family members, friends, and neighbors. This bill passed into law as Act 72 of 2022 and has allowed our emergency responders to serve their communities diligently and efficiently ever since.

In Pennsylvania, we are blessed with tens of thousands of emergency responders who do everything they can to save those important to us. They take middle-of-the-night calls, willingly put themselves in harm’s way, brave harsh and dangerous weather conditions, and put their lives on the line to provide the best possible care to their patients.

Prior to the enactment of Act 72 of 2022 our emergency responders had their hands tied by regulations that were keeping them from responding to more calls and saving more lives.

Under previous state regulations, certified emergency personnel, such as firefighters with specific first-aid, CPR and emergency vehicle training, were permitted to drive ambulances with an EMT on board. Those regulations were changed several years ago to increase the number of EMRs/EMTs required per BLS ambulance. While changed with good intentions, coupled with staffing and volunteer shortages, funding challenges and growing coverage areas, these regulations had dire consequences as calls go unanswered due to staffing shortages and overburdened staffing requirements on a 911 call.

However, within Act 72 of 2022 there is an effective end date of April 29, 2027, after which those same overbearing regulations are set to go into effect once again which will inevitably result in a severe increase in unanswered 911 calls and further strain on the staffing shortage EMS suffers from today.

How can it be that while willing and trained volunteers stand by, calls are getting unanswered? Because of government regulations, more-than-capable ambulance crews are not able to the leave their stations. Lives are being lost, especially in rural areas, because trained firefighters and other certified emergency response volunteers are not permitted to drive a vehicle without at least an EMR and an EMT or 2 EMTs on board. That needs to change today, and we have proof that it can be done safely.

During Governor Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 Emergency Declaration, these regulations were waived to increase access to healthcare. Under his COVID waiver, EMS agencies were permitted to operate as they once were and provided needed regulatory flexibility to meet the public safety needs of their local communities and this eventually evolved into Act 72 of 2022. My legislation would make this commonsense act permanent and remove the April 29, 2027 deadline.

Pennsylvania has gone from over 300,000 volunteers in the 1980s to less than 30,000 today - our Volunteers need our support to help them to continue to serve our communities!

I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this critical legislation.
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 1085: 35-8133(c)(2)