Sen. Howard Marklein and Rep. Travis Tranel Circulate EMS Board Membership Legislation

Bill requires rural EMS representation on policy-making board.

 
MADISON— State Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Representative Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City) circulated legislation today to require rural representation on the Wisconsin Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Board. This board at the Department of Health Services (DHS) makes policy recommendations and decisions that govern EMS regulations throughout Wisconsin.
 
The legislation adds two voting members who represent a rural area of the state and are licensed below the paramedic licensing level on a volunteer department. Rural is defined as an area for which the population of the largest city, town or village is less than 10,000. The eligible licensing levels are emergency medical responders (EMRs), emergency medical technician (EMT) or Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT).
 
“Decisions made by the EMS Board directly impact rural, volunteer departments, yet they are often not represented on the board. This bill adds two spots specifically to give rural, volunteer EMS departments a seat at the table when policy changes are considered and training and renewal requirements are set,” Sen. Marklein said. “I held rural EMS summits all over my district to seek solutions to recruitment and retention challenges and EMS Board decisions were a main concern for many of the volunteers who attended.”
 
“My rural EMS departments tell me that rural, non-paramedic voices are often overshadowed when policy decisions are considered and made. This bill will give them a voice,” Rep. Tranel said. “The EMS Board makes a lot of policy decisions and recommendations that affect rural departments. This bill ensures that they are a part of the conversation.”
 
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Board consists of 11 voting members and provides recommendations to DHS on a wide variety of EMS-related topics.
 
LRB 2109 will add two voting members to the EMS Board. This will bring the total voting membership to 13. The bill will require that the two new members must serve on a rural volunteer department and be licensed below the Paramedic level.
 
The EMS Board is tasked with overseeing and reviewing EMS statutes and rules to provide recommendations and changes, making recommendations to DHS for the Funding Assistance Program (FAP), and preparing recommendations on various topics such as CPR and community paramedics.