Sen. Tim Nangle appointed to Emergency Medical Services Commission

AUGUSTA – Sen. Tim Nangle, D-Windham, was appointed by Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, to serve on the Maine Emergency Medical Services Commission, a newly established permanent commission charged with monitoring Maine’s emergency medical services system and recommending changes to strengthen it for the future. His appointment took effect July 29.

“EMS is the safety net people don’t think about until the moment they need it,” said Sen. Nangle. “I know firsthand that the quality of emergency care depends on the people, equipment, resources and coordination behind every response. Maine has outstanding EMS professionals, but many services are operating under real strain. I’m looking forward to bringing my perspective as a former paramedic and current policymaker to this commission and helping build a system that our communities can count on for the long term.”

Before entering public office, Sen. Nangle spent 27 years as a paramedic with Portland Fire Department’s Medical Crisis Unit. He has also previously served as a firefighter, police officer and 911 dispatcher.

The Maine Emergency Medical Services Commission was established through LD 245, “An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission to Study Emergency Medical Services in the State.” The law grew out of the work of a Blue Ribbon Commission tasked with examining the structure, support and delivery of emergency medical services in Maine and identified concerns about the long-term financial stability, oversight and resilience of the system. The Legislature found that some EMS entities were at immediate or future risk of failure, potentially leaving communities without adequate access to emergency medical care.

The permanent, 18-member commission includes lawmakers alongside representatives from Maine EMS, municipal and nonmunicipal ambulance services, practicing EMS professionals, dispatch centers, hospitals, municipalities, air ambulance services, EMS training programs, physicians and fire chiefs. The commission must meet at least quarterly.

As part of its work, the commission will assess current and future EMS resource needs and potential funding options; evaluate existing programs and initiatives; examine recruitment and retention of paid and volunteer EMS professionals; consider improvements to EMS data collection and system evaluation; and review how municipalities plan and provide ambulance and other transporting EMS services. The commission may also hold public hearings, workshops and other meetings to hear directly about challenges facing the system and potential solutions.

The commission is required to submit its first annual report with findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature’s committee overseeing public safety matters by Jan. 1, 2027. Lawmakers may then introduce legislation based on the commission’s recommendations.

Sen. Nangle is serving his second term in the Maine Senate, representing Casco, Frye Island, Raymond, Windham and part of Westbrook. He serves as Senate chair of the Transportation Committee and sits on the Health and Human Services Committee.

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