HARRISBURG–Working to protect the state’s dedicated first
responders and the citizens who rely on them, the General Assembly has approved
and sent to the governor’s desk Rep. Clint Owlett’s (R-Tioga/Bradford/Potter)
bill to authorize ambulance staffing waivers and extend benefits to first
responders who contract COVID-19.
“Our emergency medical services and other first responders
are vital to our efforts to combat and protect against the spread of COVID-19,”
Owlett said. “This will be an important tool to protect their health and safety
and that of the residents they serve.”
House Bill 1869 would allow ambulance companies to apply to
the Pennsylvania Department of Health for a waiver on staffing requirements for
a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance. The bill originally would have applied
only to ambulance companies in rural counties but was amended by the state
Senate last week to include any company regardless of location.
“I’m excited to see an idea I had to help our rural
ambulance companies best serve their communities being expanded to encompass
the entire state,” Owlett said. “While our rural emergency medical services
have been struggling for some time to meet mandated staffing levels, the spread
of COVID-19 is making it increasingly difficult for ambulance companies in many
areas of the state to continue their life-saving services.
“We cannot allow our current laws to prevent trained medical
professionals from doing their jobs and helping people in need,” he added.
Owlett also praised Senate amendments to the bill that would
ensure benefits for police and members of the Pennsylvania National Guard who
may be subject to quarantine due to illness caused by or exposure to COVID-19.
The bill would provide 60 days of paid leave and would not require use of sick
leave or vacation time.
The ambulance staffing portion of Owlett’s bill builds on
action earlier this month when the Department of Health issued guidance making
adjustments to several staffing requirements as a result of the COVID-19
disaster emergency.
The bill was first adopted by the House last fall as one of
more than a dozen measures in the “Helpers and Heroes” package of legislation
aimed at supporting first responders and ensuring continued access to
life-saving services for all Pennsylvanians.
