Aarron Reinhart, president of the American Ambulance Association, sent a letter asking the Department of Health and Human Services to give more money to ambulances, warning that “the 911 emergency medical system throughout the United States is at a breaking point.” The letter requests $43,500 per ambulance, or $2.62 billion for ground ambulance service providers, from the Provider Relief Fund. In rural areas with no fire departments, EMS-only services account for about 65% of all responders. EMS services reportedly received almost no funding from grants associated with Federal Emergency Management Agency or Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response. Funding for personal protective equipment from state and local coffers has also been virtually nonexistent, according to the letter.
Rural Reporter