A bill to extend federal benefits to the families of paramedics and emergency medical technicians killed or disabled in the line of duty who work for nonprofit or volunteer ambulance services was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives last week.
Known as the Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Provider Protection Act, the legislation introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., honors a Bennington emergency medical technician, Dale Long, who died while transporting a patient in June 2009.