Senator Andrew Lang (R-Olivia) today presented legislation that allows for the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board (EMSRB) to temporarily suspend certain requirements in order to provide relief for an industry suffering from severe staffing shortages. The bill includes flexibility for the EMSRB to suspend the requirements related to the following:
- Ambulance Service Licensing
- Ambulance Service Requirements in relation to staffing
- Requirements for specific equipment on ambulances
- Licensure of Air Ambulance Services
- Service Requirements for Air Ambulances in relation to personnel and equipment
- Prehospital Care Data
- Interhospital and Interfacility Transfers
- Relocation of Base of Operations during extreme emergencies
“This bill is the culmination of several years’ worth of issues that began prior to the pandemic, and as someone who has worked on the civilian side to support the board, I’ve witnessed these problems first-hand,” said Sen. Lang. “We want to alleviate the stresses on the industry by giving these agencies the time and flexibility address problems resulting from staffing shortages that have placed undue stress on various ambulance services.”
This bill’s language allows for temporary exemptions from policies to allow EMSRB to get through challenging times being faced by the EMS workforce across the state. Allowing these exemptions ensures that when citizens need help that requires use of an ambulance, services will not be disrupted as a result of staffing shortages.
SF-2853 passed in the Health and Human Services Committee.