REPS. HARMAN, BEAN AND HERSETH SANDLIN INTRODUCE BILL TO HELP CERTIFY MILITARY VETERAN EMTS

Lawmaker says, “Having the largest possible pool of experienced emergency personnel on hand is crucial to handling a patient surge”

Washington, D.C. -- Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), member of the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee, together with Reps. Melissa Bean (D-IL) and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), today introduced the Experienced Medic Transition (EMT) Act.  The legislation seeks to streamline the integration of returning veteran medics into the civilian emergency response system and expand hospital surge capacity by increasing the number of available medical personnel. 

“The possibility of a terrorist attack, pandemic flu or devastating natural disaster demands that we strengthen the ability of our nation’s hospitals to jolt into action.  Having the largest possible pool of experienced emergency personnel on hand is crucial to handling a patient surge,” said Congresswoman Jane Harman. 

“This win-win proposal allows our veterans to leverage their medical skills while continuing to serve our communities as emergency responders,” said Congresswoman Melissa Bean.

“Our men and women in uniform have developed valuable skills during their service, and we should capitalize on opportunities that allow veterans to utilize those skills to the benefit of the civilian population as a whole,” said Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.  “This common-sense legislation does exactly that while helping to alleviate shortages of experienced emergency medical personnel in rural areas like South Dakota and across the country.”

First responders routinely face life-or-death decisions, often amid a backdrop of chaos and confusion.  This would only be magnified during a terrorist attack or natural disaster.  Military medics work at the scenes of IED attacks, suicide bombings, and firefights; many entry level military personnel gain experience equivalent to seasoned civilian counterparts.  Unfortunately, experienced military medics are often required to begin at entry-level curricula to receive certification for civilian jobs.  The EMT Act addresses this by:

• Encouraging State Health Departments through federal grants to create a fast-track EMT certification path for honorably discharged members of the Armed Forces with military EMS training, and to provide reimbursement for the cost of a certification fee.
• Giving priority to applicants who will serve in areas with high demand for emergency care.
• Providing required coursework and training to military veterans that take previous coursework and training into account, thus avoiding wasting time and expense.
• Building partnerships between states and universities, colleges, and technical schools to establish a fast-track certification path by developing appropriate curricula to build on military medical training.

The EMT Act is supported by the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials (NASEMSO) and the American Legion.

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