[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 30 (Monday, March 14, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2646-S2647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. Feingold):
  S. 611. A bill to establish a Federal Interagency Committee on 
Emergency Medical Services and a Federal Interagency Committee on 
emergency Medical Services Advisory Council, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Emergency 
Medical Services Act of 2005. This legislation will help to improve 
Federal efforts to support community-based emergency medical services 
across America. I am pleased to be joined by Senator Feingold in this 
effort.
  Today, New York University's Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and 
Response is releasing an important report, titled ``Findings from a 
National Roundtable to Improve Emergency Medical Service's Homeland 
Security Preparedness.'' This report details concerns and 
recommendations from more than 50 representatives of national EMS 
organizations and Federal agencies. Their top recommendation was to 
improve EMS homeland security preparedness through enactment of the 
very measure we are introducing today. I would note that a former 
member of my staff, Tim Raducha-Grace drafted this report. Tim 
continues to be a champion of first responders nationwide, and I 
congratulate him on this latest achievement.
  A comprehensive, coordinated emergency medical services system is 
essential to assure prompt, quality care to help individuals suffering 
from automobile crashes to traumatic medical emergencies, to terrorist 
events. The emergency medical services system serves as one of the most 
important parts of our health care safety net.
  Unfortunately, for the past 20 years, Federal support for EMS has 
been both scarce and uncoordinated. At least seven Federal agencies are 
involved in various aspects of emergency medical services (EMS), though 
most agencies focus on only one segment of the EMS system and don't 
effectively coordinate with other agencies.
  In 2001, at the request of Senator Feingold and myself, the General 
Accounting Office cited in its report Emergency Medical Services: 
Reported needs are Wide-Ranging with a Growing Focus on Lack of Data 
the need to increase coordination among Federal agencies as they 
address the needs of regional, State, or local emergency medical 
services systems.
  This legislation would seeks to improve one of the few existing 
efforts to coordinate Federal support for EMS providers. This 
legislation would formally establish a Federal Interagency Council on 
Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS), and would require the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in coordination with the 
Department of Homeland Security, to provide organizational and staff 
support.
  This legislation would enhance coordination among the Federal 
agencies involved with the State, local, tribal and regional emergency 
medical services and 9-1-1 systems. It would also help to assure 
Federal agencies coordinate their EMS-related activities and maximize 
the best utilization of established funding.

  Local, State and Federal level emergency medical services systems are 
extremely diverse and involve numerous different agencies and 
organizations. To assure a viable, responsive emergency medical 
services system, Federal agencies need the input and advice of their 
non-Federal partners and from persons regulating or providing emergency 
medical services systems at the State and local level.
  According to Tom Judge, the Executive Director of Lifeflight of 
Maine, and Jay Bradshaw, the State of Maine's EMS Director, improved 
coordination can help strengthen support for a wide range of emergency 
medical services, from rural EMS providers, to communications between 
EMS systems, to improving coordination between local EMS providers and 
their Federal partners.
  Another GAO report made it clear that the Center for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services needs to better coordinate its reimbursement with the 
Department of Transportation's matching grants for equipment and 
vehicles. Many of Maine's communities are at risk of seeing their first 
ambulance service closures in rural areas, such as in Rumford, ME, due 
to low reimbursement rates. If DOT targeted assistance to the low 
reimbursement areas that were at risk of shutting down, we might be 
able to maintain service in those areas.
  Improved coordination could also strengthen the integration between 
local providers and Federal agencies. Substantial numbers of our 
Reserve and National Guard units are being called up for duty, which 
has hurt search and air rescue capability across Maine. While 
LifeFlight of Maine is called upon to provide an eye in the sky there 
is little to no current capability for lifting someone out of the woods 
when there is no space to land. If the Navy pulls the last part time 
aircraft out of Brunswick Naval Air station, there wouldn't be any 
capability at all within a reasonable response timeframe.
  I am pleased to have the support of Maine's EMS Director, Jay 
Bradshaw, Lifeflight of Maine, the American Ambulance Association, the 
National Association of Maine EMS Directors, and others.
  We must ensure that Federal agencies coordinate their efforts to 
support the dedicated men and women who provide EMS services across our 
Nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting their efforts by 
cosponsoring this legislation.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleague from 
Maine, Senator Collins, today to introduce legislation that will help 
improve and streamline Federal support for community-based emergency 
medical services. Our proposal will also provide an avenue for local 
officials and EMS providers to help Federal agencies improve existing 
programs and future initiatives.
  When someone has been seriously hurt or has an emergency medical 
problem in this country, the first thing they do is call for an 
ambulance. And the EMS providers of this country do a great job in 
responding to these emergencies. All of us have a friend or loved one 
who has relied on these first responders. These folks rush to assist 
people in trouble no matter the cause. Their only interest is making 
sure the patient is medically stable and being taken care of.
  Congress has long recognized the important role played by EMS 
providers. However, Federal support for EMS has been unfocused and 
uncoordinated, with responsibility scattered among a number of 
different agencies. In 2001, the General Accounting Office cited the 
need to increase coordination between the Federal agencies involved 
with EMS issues but not much progress has been made since that report 
was issued. The Federal Government doesn't even have a good handle on 
how much it is spending on EMS or what the needs are for EMS.
  A report to be released today by the New York University Center for 
Catastrophe Preparedness and Response highlights some of the 
deficiencies in our support for EMS. According to that report, less 
than 4 percent of the Office of Domestic Preparedness first responder 
grant funding and 5 percent of

[[Page S2647]]

HHS bioterrorism grant funding goes to EMS. More than half of ambulance 
providers received no direct Federal funding for homeland security 
preparedness. EMS providers receive very little homeland security 
preparedness education, training, and equipment and tend not to be well 
integrated into overall response planning.
  The bill we introduce today is a good first step towards addressing 
many of the deficiencies in our current EMS policies and takes many of 
the steps recommended by the NYU report. It would establishes a Federal 
interagency committee whose purpose will be to coordinate Federal EMS 
activities, identify EMS needs, assure proper integration of EMS in 
homeland security planning, and make recommendations on improving and 
streamlining EMS support. A1though Federal law, P.L. 107-188, called 
for the establishment of a working group on EMS, this legislation goes 
further in detailing the role and function of the interagency 
committee. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
Committee will certainly iron out any overlap that may exist.
  This legislation also establishes an advisory council for the 
interagency committee that includes representatives from throughout the 
EMS community. The advisory committee, made up of non-Federal 
representatives from all EMS sectors and from both urban and rural 
areas, will provide guidance and input to the interagency committee on 
a variety of issues including the development of standards and national 
plans, expanding or creating grant programs, and improving and 
streamlining Federal EMS efforts. The advisory council is a critical 
component of this legislation because it is the channel through which 
local EMS practitioners can directly impact and help reform national 
EMS policy.
  I want to thank the long list of supporting organizations, including 
Advocates for EMS, the American Ambulance Association, the American 
College of Surgeons, the American Medical Association, the American 
Heart Association, Association of Air Medical Services, ComCARE, the 
Emergency Nurses Association, Gold Cross/Mayo Medical Transport, the 
National Association of EMS Educators, the National Association of EMS 
Technicians, the National Association of EMS Physicians, the National 
EMS Pilot Association, the National Association of State EMS Directors, 
and the National Registry of EMTs. I also want to thank all of those 
Wisconsinites who provided so much helpful input in coming up with this 
legislation. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. Marvin Birnbaum 
of the University of Wisconsin, Fire Chief Dave Bloom of the Town of 
Madison, and Dan Williams, chair of Wisconsin's EMS advisory board, for 
their advice and guidance.
  EMS providers are a critical component of our Nation's first 
responder network. We must act now to streamline and coordinate Federal 
EMS support and work to better understand the needs of the EMS 
community. I therefore ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
legislation.
                                 ______