Lawmakers, Maine EMS and fire chiefs debate statewide EMS structure; committee tables LD176 and LD245

At a work session of the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, legislators, Maine EMS staff and stakeholders debated two related measures aimed at carrying forward the Blue Ribbon Commission recommendations on emergency medical services: LD 176 (an authority to establish an EMS district model) and LD 245 (an act to implement the Blue Ribbon Commission's recommendations). The committee voted to table LD 176 by unanimous voice and later tabled LD 245 after discussion and requests for further analysis.

The debate centered on three themes: whether any state-level statute should create a narrowly prescriptive model for one part of the state or instead offer a statewide template; whether a new advisory Maine EMS Commission should be created or existing Maine EMS board functions reworked; and whether municipalities should be required to adopt and post EMS plans. Senator Rachel Talbot Ross, sponsor of LD 245, said the language in the bill "comes from the work of the Blue Ribbon Commission" and that the intent is for municipalities to create and post plans so…