[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 143 (Monday, September 16, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6043-S6044]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               SIREN Act

  Madam President, on a different topic, a recent report from The Wall 
Street Journal had a stark headline. It read: ``Your Ambulance Is on 
the Way, ETA: 65 Minutes.''
  Across rural America, nearly 5 million Americans live in an ambulance 
desert, where access to critical emergency care is limited, and in 
eight States, there were fewer than three ambulances for every 1,000 
square miles of land. Think about it. If you or a loved one experienced 
cardiac arrest or an overdose--when seconds truly matter--you may not 
be able to receive timely care; and across rural Illinois, EMS 
personnel are often the only healthcare providers around, with many 
being volunteers.

  To keep our rural communities thriving, we must ensure our first 
responders are ready for the call. So in 2018, 6 years ago, I worked 
with then-Republican Senator Pat Roberts, of Kansas, to pass into law a 
bill called the SIREN Act. I was inspired by a visit from Mark Kennedy, 
a paramedic from Nauvoo, IL, in Hancock County, who told me some of the 
challenges they were facing. The SIREN Act provides Federal funding for 
rural fire and EMS Agencies for recruitment, certification courses, and 
purchasing equipment--everything from Naloxone to power stretchers. 
Over the past 5 years, we have steadily increased funding for this 
small but important program. In total, we have sent $40 million to 
rural communities in 42 States, both red and blue.
  The SIREN Act is up for reauthorization now. Senator Susan Collins, 
of Maine, and I have teamed up in recent years to increase the funding 
for it and on legislation to extend funding for another 5 years. Our 
bill is endorsed by the National Association of Emergency Medical 
Technicians, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the 
International Association of Firefighters, and the National Rural 
Health Association. Last December, it unanimously passed the Senate.
  This week, the House is scheduled to take it up. I applaud the 
sponsors for their work in the House to advance the bill out of 
committee by a 46-to-nothing vote, and I urge the House to

[[Page S6044]]

quickly pass out the SIREN Reauthorization Act this week.