Imagine you have an emergency and need to call 911 yet it takes them a long time to get there. Maybe they can’t come at all. That is the scary reality of the current state of EMS in Wisconsin.
Executive Director of Wisconsin EMS Association Alan DeYoung says while EMS is essential in times of crisis, according to the state, it’s actually deemed non-essential.
“The current state of EMS in Wisconsin has not been doing very well for the past few years,” says DeYoung. “With the pandemic and reliance on volunteerism for decades, many volunteers have started to age out and retire.”
DeYoung estimates about 25 to 30 percent of the entire EMS workforce in Wisconsin has left the industry. With that loss has also come an increase in the amount of emergency calls. With a 21 percent increase over the last four years and having a smaller workforce, many calls are going unanswered. This equates to about 160,000 more calls every year.
EMS is non-essential according to Wisconsin state law. Towns are required to provide EMS services whether they’re contracted or municipal-based. But it doesn’t mean that they have to fund it.
DeYoung says there is a lack of funding for EMS as a whole because of that reason. Even though a department is licensed to provide emergency medical response, they may not have the staff to answer those calls. This means they’re relying on mutual aid from a neighboring department. When that neighboring department takes the 911 call, they’re then placed out of service.
“Calls are going completely unanswered. We’re talking 911 emergency medical calls where you need somebody there fast.” says DeYoung. “You’re expecting them to show up. However, since we don’t properly fund it and it’s not deemed essential, there’s not enough people to come to the rescue.”
To help combat these issues DeYoung has been working with state legislators to encourage funding for EMS. DeYoung says EMS needs to be a separate priority to ensure people are able to answer emergency calls.
This impacts all communities but especially rural communities. Many are already struggling to have that emergency response support to rural areas, farms, etc.
DeYoung adds, “This is a multi-part challenge. You have the funding problem, a staffing issue, and then a third aspect of being able to have all the skills necessary. Paramedics can do many of the same things that physicians do and are very highly qualified. However, they also need training to understand how to handle farm accidents. That’s why we host conferences and training seminars to do just that.”
He adds that in order to attract youth, we need to offer the same benefits as their counterparts such as police officers.
“As citizens of Wisconsin if we want to change things and make sure that we have EMS when we dial 911 we need to make sure that our legislators take the initiative to properly fund EMS directly. If you don’t fund it they’re not going to show up at all and that’s the reality that we’re at right now. This is truly life and death and you never know until you need 911 when you’re going to need it.”
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