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Bill would let fire protection districts provide EMS and other all-hazards services; committee holds for follow-up
Summary
Representative Zimmerman presented House Bill 11 13 to allow fire protection districts to be established to provide fire-based emergency medical services and other all-hazards responses; public-safety groups supported the change and the committee held the bill for further review.
House Bill 11 13, presented by Representative Zimmerman, would make explicit that fire protection districts may be established to provide fire-based emergency medical services and prevention and response to hazards that threaten life and health. Zimmerman told the committee the change aligns statutory language with current practice in which many fire districts already respond to medical and all-hazards incidents.
Supporters included Hank Harris of the Professional Fire Fighters (a 20-year firefighter and EMT) and Joel Thacker, fire chief of Carmel and representative of the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association, who told the committee fire services have evolved beyond fire suppression to include EMS, HAZMAT and other responses. Harris told the committee: "We now do EMS and we do all hazards including HAZMAT post nine-eleven with all that stuff." Thacker said the bill clarifies existing commercial and public-safety practice and provides enabling language for districts that want to formally include EMS in their authorized services.
Committee members asked questions about local control, whether extra public hearings would be appropriate if services or levies change, and how expanding services could affect debt capacity and property tax levies for jurisdictions that already have outstanding obligations. Senator Niemeyer and Senator D'Ora asked whether districts would need to hold new public hearings before adding EMS services and whether adding EMS authority could require changes to levies or voter approvals; Zimmerman said the bill enables action but does not itself compel districts to expand services and that local bond counsel and officials would need to examine debt capacity and levy impacts.
Senator Randolph and others noted the fiscal note referenced a statewide total of special fire protection districts and a pooled balance; committee members asked staff for more detailed information about where those districts are located and how much fund balance each holds. The committee held the bill and asked for follow-up information.
