By Paramedic Bruce Evans, MPA, NRP, CFOD, SPO
Chief, Upper Pine River Fire and Rescue
On September 4, 2024, a group of Colorado paramedics and fire chiefs sat down with U.S. Senator Hickenlooper at the Granby Fire Station in Grand County. Hosted by Chief White from Grand County Fire, Tim Dienst from Ute Pass Ambulance introduced everyone present. The meeting was moderated by paramedic and former Colorado Senate President LeRoy Garcia. For more than an hour EMS leaders from Colorado discussed community paramedicine. Senator Hickenlooper was looking for feedback on House of Representatives Bill 8042, The Community Paramedicine Act 2024, and evaluating being the Senate sponsor of a companion bill.
H.R. 8042, has been introduced in the U.S. House by Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND). This bill would create a grant program under the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) that would authorize $25 million per year for five years to support community paramedicine services, award qualified entities up to $750,000 for individual applications and $1.5 million for joint applications and establish an advisory board comprising national community paramedicine, emergency medical service and fire service organizations to advise, assist, and peer review grant applications in rural and underserved areas.
