Short on volunteer firefighters and EMTs? These bills could help

Amid funding and staffing pressures at emergency medical service agencies across Wyoming, two bills this legislative session aim to help attract more volunteers.
The Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee voted nearly unanimously to sponsor two bills for this session: Senate File 3 – State employee leave for volunteer fire or volunteer EMS and Senate File 8 – Health insurance for volunteer emergency responders.
They come at a time of mixed success for legislation intended to help rural EMS, which is wedged between low reimbursement rates, increasing costs and decreasing volunteerism.
Legislators last session narrowly passed a law allowing counties to put EMS district proposals to voters who can decide whether to fund ailing emergency services. However, interim committee lawmakers this summer voted down efforts to designate EMS as an essential service.