We have heard from individuals that it may be time to open up the EMS Act in order to update sections believed to be outdated.  

As a reminder, the Act was passed in 2009.  If you were around in 2009, you may recall that Joe Schmider (former Bureau Director) conducted two years’ worth of town hall meetings BEFORE the legislation was even introduced and it took another three years for the law to pass.  The first EMS Act was passed in 1985 and it was truly a revamp of the system.  The regulations did not pass the Independent Regulatory Review Committee (IRRC) until 2013. 

Evaluating the Act and ways to improve or update the Act will take time, For example, If a change in the law is needed, it will require a change by the legislature.  

Please review the Act and the Regulations (links below) and provide Heather (executivedirector@aa-pa.org) with your TOP TWO areas of concern: what the issue is, then cite where the issue originates in the Act or the regulations along with a solution.  Please provide the information by 12/26/24. Heather will compile the list for the Board discussion in January so please provide as much detail as you can.

EMS Act:  EMSAct_37_Chapter 81.pdf

EMS Act Rules and Regulations:  28 Pa. Code Part VII. Emergency Medical Services

If you are not sure how to search for specific sections or by keywords, we have included some helpful tips:

Here is a link on how to search a .pdf document:  How to search a PDF: Searchable PDFs guide | Adobe Acrobat

How to search for words on a web page:  Use the CTRL F command and a search bar will appear.  You can then search for any keywords on a page.  Just remember that the words have to be on that page.  This does not search the whole website. 

If you have any questions, please email Heather at executivedirector@aa-pa.org or call the office at (717) 512-5609.