ST. PAUL – State Representative Jeff Backer, R-Browns Valley, issued the following statement reacting to the passage of House File 4738 which drastically alters the regulatory framework of emergency medical services in Minnesota, replaces it with new layers of bureaucracy, and fails to provide the critical funding needed to maintain ambulance services across Minnesota.
“Ambulance services are at a breaking point with access to emergency medical services at risk for thousands of Minnesotans if the legislature fails to provide the funding needed to keep services afloat,” said Backer. “This bill falls woefully short and ultimately funds more bureaucrats than EMTs and creates layers of bureaucracy that will make it difficult for providers to continue to operate. To fix the problems facing ambulance services in Minnesota, we need to focus our efforts on recruitment, retention, and reimbursement. This bill does not address any of these concerns and fails to provide the serious financial investment that emergency care providers are asking for.”
Rep. Backer has been a volunteer EMT since 1995 and serves on the Emergency Medical Services Task Force.
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