Measure passed by House would get ambulances 'out of the garage’ quicker

Rural communities offer ambulance services to each other during emergencies but trying to schedule emergency medical technicians around the clock is sometimes difficult, said Rep. Jeff Backer (R-Browns Valley).

Rep. Jeff Backer

Backer, who served as an EMT in Brown’s Valley for 19 years sponsors HF423, a bill that the House passed 130-0 Monday “so we can help get the rigs out of the garage when someone dials 911.” The bill now moves to the Senate, where Sen. Kent Eken (DFL-Twin Valley) is the sponsor.

“There’s nothing worse than sitting in rural Minnesota and hearing four or five pages for the ambulance and nobody shows up at the garage,” Buck McAlpin, director of government affairs for North Memorial Health Care and Ambulance service, said during a recent committee hearing.

Minnesota law requires two EMTs in an ambulance. When shorthanded, an ambulance service must request a variance from Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board to replace one of the EMTs with a first responder. The bill would eliminate the need for the variance and allow the ambulance medical director to authorize staffing levels. The bill would apply to ambulance services based in communities with populations of 2,500 or less.

A second provision would allow the neighboring ambulance service to be from another state and to provide mutual aid for up to 12 hours per day.

“This is going to be great for many small towns and communities across the state,” said Rep. Dan Schoen (DFL-St. Paul Park).

The regulating board did not take a position on the bill, but J.B. Guiton, EMSRB interim chair, said he does support local jurisdictions working together.

“One of our biggest fears is areas in outstate going out of business and there’s nobody around to take over for them.”