I don’t know any EMS system that has so much money that they do not know what to do with all of it. We’re always looking for additional revenue sources. Fortunately, some relief may be on the way though for rural EMS systems.
SIREN Act
On Dec. 20, 2018, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 2, the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018. You might know it better as the “Farm Bill.” What does this have to do with EMS? Contained within the Farm Bill was a section called the SIREN Act. SIREN stands for Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs.
It was formerly the reauthorization of Rural Emergency Medical Services Training and Equipment Assistance Program of the Public Health Service Act. The bill was originally introduced by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Representatives Greg Gianforte (R-MT) and David Loebsack (D-IA) in the House. But the bill never made it out of committee. Fortunately, the bill was then added as an amendment to the Farm Bill.
The SIREN Act is a grant program for rural EMS agencies. Think of Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) for rural EMS systems. The SIREN Act reauthorizes the Rural Emergency Medical Service Training and Equipment Assistance Program to fund grants to rural public and nonprofit EMS agencies to be distributed in fiscal years 2019 through 2023. The final language of the of Bill did not set the final authorization for how much the Act will be funded, with open-ended language that says, “sums as may be necessary.” Officials from various fire organizations would like to see around $50 million a year, but it is expected to be around $20 million a year.
Eligible EMS agencies include local and tribal government EMS agencies, as well as nonprofit EMS agencies that are located in and/or serve residents of rural areas. This includes fire-based and non-fire-based not-for-profit EMS systems.
EMS agencies can be awarded up to $200,000. Like all federal grants, a match is required of the local government. In the case of the SIREN Act, a 10 percent match is required. So, if you get the full $200,000, your EMS agency would have to match $20,000.
Agencies can use the grant in a variety of different ways, such as training for EMS personnel in order to obtain a credential or certification and EMT or paramedic school, EMS equipment or PPE; recruitment and retention efforts for EMS staff and volunteers, or developing technology to train personnel.
Recruitment and retention are a major problem for many rural EMS agencies that use volunteers. In some rural communities, the call goes out for someone to respond—and no one answers the call. Some of these volunteer agencies have decided to simply shutter their doors. This funding is a perfect opportunity to help these volunteer EMS systems establish programs to attract volunteers, get them trained and credentialed, and put programs in place to retain them.
If you’re interested in this grant opportunity, make sure to stay in touch with professional associations like the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), which will probably make the announcement when the grant period opens. But do not wait! If you start planning when the grant application period is opened, you may miss the opportunity to apply. Begin thinking about how your rural EMS agency could use the money, and start planning the program you wish to implement. Study up on how successful grants are awarded. The narrative often wins the day, so have someone in place who writes well and can articulate your agency’s needs and the premise of the program you want to put in place.
Final thoughts
Until reimbursement models for EMS are retooled and restructured to reflect the true cost of delivering a service, most EMS systems do not have enough the money to sustain operations efficiently. Adding millions of dollars for EMS agencies to use toward bettering their operations is not a huge amount when you take into consideration the large number of rural EMS systems in existence. However, this would be like a winning lottery ticket to some rural EMS agencies that struggle just to put gas into the ambulance.
Don’t miss the opportunity to apply for this grant when it becomes available.
