Emergency medical services professionals have a very particular set of skills.
It’s a skill set in demand high enough to constitute what many have called a crisis, particularly in rural areas where paid responders are few and far between — or simply don’t exist.
Yet even for paid professionals, the required credentials can be a barrier to entering these careers all on their own.
Being paid to work — let alone volunteering to serve — as an emergency medical technician (EMT), first requires a person to obtain the appropriate training, which first requires an outlay of funds. That initial investment can range anywhere from hundreds of dollars to thousands, depending on the credential.
It’s just one of a number of challenges facing rural EMS that are regularly discussed by the regional Emergency Medical Services Task Force.
State Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, held a meeting of that task force Feb. 15 at the Smethport Volunteer Fire Department. He said training reimbursements were a concept, among several, discussed during the meeting.
Then last week, Pennsylvania’s Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen announced the launch of a $1 million tuition-assistance program aimed at recruiting and retaining EMS professionals.
Administered by the Department of Health, the program is funded by $1 million from the Fireworks Tax Act each year for the next three years. Pennsylvania residents who obtained a Pennsylvania state certification as an emergency medical responder (EMR), emergency medical technician (EMT), advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT) or paramedic after July 1, 2023, are eligible to have a portion of their tuition reimbursed. Rates range from as much as $300 for EMRs to $800 for EMTs, $1,000 for AEMTs and $5,000 for paramedics.
“Here in this region, we’ve been providing some tuition assistance for EMT programs for a while now; this takes it one step further and provides it for advanced EMTs and paramedics and that’s something we haven’t had in the past,” Causer said. “That will be very beneficial.
“I do hear from people locally who have told me they would like to take a paramedic class, but can’t afford it,” Causer continued. “My hope is this will help with that.”
In addition, Pennsylvania licensed EMS agencies are eligible to receive reimbursement of expenses related to recruitment and retention efforts, up to $1,250 per fiscal year.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that, across Pennsylvania in 2021, 4,053 EMS certifications were not renewed, with 2,606 of those representing EMTs. Of those expired EMT certifications, 43.83% belonged to people younger than 30.
Causer explained the reimbursement rates are meaningful in that “an average EMT class is going for between $800 and $1,000 (and are eligible for $800 in reimbursement).”
Bradford City Fire Department, a paid organization, posted to Facebook on Friday an employment opportunity there for part-time and summer help as firefighter/EMT-B or firefighter/paramedic. Requirements for consideration include a Pennsylvania Department of Health certification as an EMT or paramedic.
Capt. Jeff Kloss, assistant EMS coordinator for BCFD, agreed the tuition reimbursement funding “is a good step in the right direction.”
Bogen said, “Emergency medical services professionals are an essential part of the healthcare system. Knowing that you will have well-trained and qualified individuals arriving at your door 24/7 in the event of an emergency is a safeguard that we want for all Pennsylvanians.”
