State Representatives John Carey (R-Wellston) and Bob Peterson (R-Sabina) today announced that the Ohio House of Representatives concurred on Senate changes to House Bill 128. This legislation will help to enhance public safety services by improving response times and helping to obtain funding for training programs.

“This bill will affect very few Ohioans, but for those that it will affect, it can have big impact at time when they may need help the most— during a medical emergency,” Peterson said.

In light of last year’s decision by the EMS Board to require all paramedic training programs to become nationally accredited by 2018, House Bill 128 would work with the EMS Board and the Ohio Department of Public Safety to revise provisions that govern grant programs to allow funding to help emergency training programs achieve national accreditation.

House Bill 128 would also address ambulance staffing by clarifying that an ambulance traveling to an emergency scene would only require one EMT or paramedic, who could also serve as the driver. Other personnel would be able to meet the ambulance at the scene to save critical time.

“This is a good example of how local officials can work with their legislators to make government work more efficiently,” Carey said. “I am pleased that this bill has passed to provide assistance for many local EMS providers.”

In an effort to waive an unnecessary step in the fee collection procedure, the bill streamlines the process for contracting EMT services between a village and township to make the process more efficient.

House Bill 128 today passed by a vote of 90-2 and now moves to Governor Kasich for his signature.