Senate unanimously approves Sen. Curry bill to help EMS departments across Maine

AUGUSTA – On Tuesday, the Maine Senate voted in favor of a bill from Sen. Chip Curry, D-Belfast, that would help support EMS departments across the state. An amended version of the bill, LD 1859, “An Act To Build More Sustainable Ambulance Services in Communities,” received unanimous, bipartisan support.

“I’m so grateful to my colleagues for supporting this important legislation,” said. Sen. Curry. “Our EMS departments are essential for public health and safety. They have been pushed to the edge between suffering funding and staffing shortages and a healthcare system not designed for emergency medical response. The State of Maine and municipal governments can use this opportunity to come together, collaborate and make our EMS system sustainable, especially in our rural communities, to figure out what will work best for the longevity of our EMS departments.”

“Inconsistencies around rates, payment recovery and public vs. private systems make up the short list of the issues our EMS departments are faced with,” said Sen. Joe Rafferty, D-Kennebunk, who co-sponsored the bill. “We need to help our communities adapt before the entire emergency medical system we have collapses. Communities need our help now to ensure the long-term survival of EMS.”

As it currently stands, of the 272 EMS departments in Maine, fewer than 70 are paid and full-time. Part of the problem facing so many EMS departments is a workforce shortage. According to Maine EMS, Maine has lost nearly 1,500 EMTs and paramedics since 2013, which is over 20 percent of that workforce. Simultaneously, the average number of calls each year continues to rise, with over 22,000 in 2021.

Sen. Curry introduced an amendment that would change the title of the bill to “An Act to Establish the Maine Emergency Medical Services Community Grant Program,” which passed in committee. LD 1859, as amended, would set up a fund for communities to apply for grants to engage in a structured strategic planning process to consider current and alternative models for providing emergency medical services. This process, called Informed Community Self-Determination, or ICSD, begins with Maine experts in rural EMS delivery working with local service providers and community stakeholders to learn the agency’s strengths, challenges and prospects for long term sustainability. The next step in the process is to present that information to the community broadly so that community members have a clear understanding of their current capacity and future threats. Lastly, the facilitators will present detailed options for how the community can continue to meet its EMS needs at the level it desires. This model has already been applied to EMS departments in Franklin County, St. George, Jackman and the Camden area to date. This bill will allow more towns or regions to engage in long-term sustainability planning.

“Maine EMS has testified multiple times in front of this committee regarding the importance of communities conducting a needs-based assessment prior to creating an emergency medical services agency,” said Sam Hurley, the Director of Maine Emergency Medical Services, in testimony supporting LD 1859. “We believe that this bill is a great first step in empowering communities to engage in informed community self-determination.”

“The amended bill before you will make significant strides in helping struggling municipalities develop a plan that meets the emergency needs of those communities without putting an excessive (and often surprising) burden on taxpayers,” said Jay Bradshaw, the Executive Director of the Maine Ambulance Association in testimony supporting LD 1859. “We are pleased to offer our full support to this bill as amended and ask you to do the same.”

LD 1859 faces a final enactment vote in the Senate.

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