CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Lawmakers heard testimony Monday on the status of emergency medical services and a request for $30 million,
West Virginia EMS Coalition Executive Director Chris Hall told members of the Joint Committee on Volunteer Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services that reimbursement rates have improved but departments continue to struggle with the cost of remaining at the ready.
“EMS has to be ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year,” Hall said. “No holidays, no matter how many calls are coming into that agency.”
State lawmakers are holding interim committee meetings earlier this week before Wednesday’s start of the 60-day regular session.
Hall said lawmakers passed Senate Bill 625 in 2018 creating the Creating WV Volunteer Fire and Rescue Act, but money was never allocated or designated a revenue source was ever established. Hall noted that surrounding states have fees attached to violations and licenses that provide steady streams of revenue.
“We’re looking for an ongoing, permanent source of revenue so we can make sure there is some stability to EMS but there has to be some level of state support as our neighboring states have provided,” Hall said.
Hall also said budget cuts have forced them to charge individuals and agencies for certifications and license fees. He told lawmakers that the network of emergency service providers has been funding their own regulatory system because state funding is not available.
“We feel like, at a minimum, the state could at least fund the West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services adequately to allow it to do its regulatory duties without straining our non-profits or our volunteers with these license and certification fees,” Hall said.
Delegate Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, helped secure $10 million during the last session to fund mobile training ambulances and EMT training courses. Statler said since that investment, at least 800 people have completed EMT training and have passed their certification requirements.
“I’ve talked to the chairmen of both finance committees about what we need going forward, so it’s going to be unusual for them to see that we need it,” Statler said.
Statler said there are several struggling EMS units across the state; some could run out of money and be forced to close this year. When units shut down, those runs are often picked up by first responders in neighboring counties at the expense of their own residents.
“Any way you look at it, you may not think it’s your problem in your area when an ambulance EMS service goes down, but it weakens the whole chain, and we’re only as strong as the weakest link in that chain,” Statler said.