NEW ILLINOIS LAW GIVES RURAL AMBULANCE SERVICES MORE STAFFING FLEXIBILITY

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Rural ambulance services across Illinois will have more options for keeping emergency crews on the road under a new state law aimed at easing staffing shortages in smaller communities.

House Bill 5446, sponsored by State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer of Murrayville and State Senator Steve McClure of Springfield, allows qualifying rural and semi-rural ambulance services to use part-time employees along with volunteers and paid-on-call workers. The change applies to services operating in communities with populations of 10,000 or fewer.

Supporters say previous staffing rules could make it difficult for small ambulance agencies to maintain coverage, especially when volunteer availability was limited. The Meredosia-Bluffs Volunteer Rescue Squad was among the rural services cited during debate over the legislation after experiencing difficulty consistently filling shifts.

Davidsmeyer said staffing shortages can translate directly into longer waits for people experiencing medical emergencies. The new law is intended to give rural agencies more flexibility to bring in part-time personnel when enough volunteers are not available.

McClure said ambulances are a critical link between patients and emergency medical treatment regardless of whether someone lives in a city or a small rural community.

Lawmakers say allowing a broader mix of workers should help keep ambulances available and reduce delays in transporting patients to hospitals.

The proposal received unanimous approval in both the Illinois House and Senate before being sent to the governor. Earlier versions of the rural staffing model allowed volunteers and paid-on-call personnel but did not allow part-time employees, a restriction the new law removes.

For communities across western Illinois where ambulance providers cover large geographic areas with relatively small populations, supporters say the change could make the difference between having an ambulance immediately available and having to wait for another crew or neighboring agency to respond.