Updating Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Idaho is no small task, but I was grateful for the opportunity to join my EMS colleagues to discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for Idaho. EMS workers from throughout the state — as far away as Boundary County — traveled to Boise on Monday to help make a difference on behalf of the communities they serve. Paramedics, EMTs, air medical personnel, EMS and Fire department leadership, hospital staff, and many others joined me at the Idaho Statehouse.
While their specific training and missions vary, they attended EMS Day for one purpose: to help educate lawmakers and Idaho residents about the challenges ahead. They explained that EMS services in Idaho are faced with population growth, a fragmented system of volunteers and paid staff, and Idaho’s inherently rural character.