Health Committee Approves O’Scanlon Measure to Address Shortage of Advanced Life Support Units

Bill Would Boost Availability of Paramedics and Modernize Care

Legislation sponsored by Senator Declan O’Scanlon that would help address an acute shortage of Advanced Life Support (ALS) units statewide has been approved by the Senate Health, Human Services & Senior Citizens Committee.

“We need to update the decades-old rules that prohibit us from utilizing our paramedic safety net in the most efficient way possible,” said O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth). “We’ve spent years examining the best practices from other states in consultation with our first responders to develop a modern plan to improve emergency medical care and response in our communities. We have developed a plan that will put more units into service, while maintaining the quality of care, and creating career advancement opportunities for paramedics and other medical first responders.”

Most notably, the legislation (S-3885) creates a new classification of Advanced Paramedic and Paramedic Assistant that could be attained with additional training, while allowing for more combinations of emergency medical professionals that could staff different types of ambulance rigs to respond to a wider variety of needs.

“This legislation provides us the flexibility to provide a variety of different types of on-site emergency medical care in our neighborhoods, including treatment that doesn’t necessarily require transport to an emergency room or hospital,” added O’Scanlon. “It’s a modern, cost-effective way to meet the emergency medical needs of our communities.”