NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund Funding Priorities for Fiscal Year 2021-2022
[51 Pa.B. 6484]
[Saturday, October 9, 2021]Under 28 Pa. Code §§ 1021.24 and 1021.25 (relating to use of EMSOF funding by a regional EMS council; and allocation of EMSOF funds to regional EMS councils), the Department of Health (Department) gives notice of priorities for the distribution by the regional emergency medical services (EMS) councils of funding from the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund (EMSOF) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022.
EMSOF moneys are to be used to provide funding to maintain, improve and develop the quality of the EMS system within this Commonwealth. The Department finds that EMSOF is not sufficient to fully fund the EMS system. Therefore, it gives notice, under § 1021.24(e), that recipients of EMSOF funding from regional EMS councils may be required to provide matching funds toward all purchases, acquisitions and projects for which the Department permits the use of EMSOF moneys.
Each regional EMS council shall prioritize the distribution of its EMSOF moneys allocated for the established priorities set forth in this notice. These allocations shall be based upon the Statewide EMS Development Plan and its regional EMS development plan, subject to the funding priorities set forth in this notice. By October 30, 2021, the regional EMS councils shall notify the providers and other appropriate entities of the established funding priorities, the application process, acquisition documentation requirements and processing deadlines. Each regional EMS council must complete all documents required for the distribution of EMSOF funding by June 30, 2022.
The Department may increase the amount of the initial payment or reimbursement from EMSOF based upon the EMS development plans (State and regional) or documented financial hardship of a provider of EMS. A provider of EMS that seeks additional funds due to financial hardship shall be required to submit a financial disclosure statement and other documentation deemed necessary by the Department.
A provider of EMS applying for EMSOF funding must be in full compliance with all regulations, policies and priorities of the State and regional EMS systems.
Funds for purchases, acquisitions and projects for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022, must have been expended or encumbered by the regional EMS council by June 30, 2022.
Funding Priorities
The following funding priorities are listed in order of current State priority. These priorities must be considered before there is any regional distribution of EMSOF moneys for initiatives that are not listed. All funding must be distributed in a manner consistent with the regional and Statewide EMS development plans. Consequently, if the priorities in this notice have been met and additional funding is available, the request to use EMSOF money towards lower-priority items must still be supported by the Statewide and regional EMS development plans.
1. Recruitment and retention programs, including scholarships or tuition reimbursement for emergency medical responder (EMR), emergency medical technician (EMT), advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT) and paramedic (P) education in areas with higher than average prehospital personnel vacancy rates or other challenges associated with the provision of EMS primary education, or both, as determined by the regional EMS council and approved by the Department.
2. Costs associated with investigating a potential merger or consolidation of services. These costs include, but are not limited to, consulting fees, studies, legal fees and statistical analysis.
3. Costs associated with the actual merger or consolidation of services.
4. Development or improvement of an organizational risk management program (safety measures, hazard recognition or mitigation and the necessary organizational structure and support processes) proposed by an ambulance service. Proposals for funding must be comprehensive and include safe vehicle operations. Approval by the Department is required prior to funding. Equipment that is required to meet basic life support (BLS), intermediate advanced life support (IALS), and advanced life support (ALS) ambulance service licensure.
5. Capnography equipment (especially wave-form end-tidal CO2 monitors).
6. Software or computer equipment to enable services to collect and transmit EMS patient care reports electronically.
7. Bariatric equipment to equip ambulances.
8. Replacement of an ambulance, for ambulance services, that is older than 10 years or has more than 200,000 miles on it. This allowance is limited to one per fiscal year.
When two or more ambulance companies have consolidated to create one entity, for the first 5 years after the ambulance companies completed consolidation, the entity may be deemed eligible to receive funding not to exceed the amount of the combined total for which the individual companies would have been eligible had they not consolidated.
Emergency Preparedness and Response Funding Requests
Emergency preparedness and response funding requests must be based on local and response roles of services, regional needs and needs identified by threat vulnerability analysis. Purchases must be coordinated with county emergency, fire service, hazmat and hospital organizations in the applicant's service area to assure interoperability and to prevent duplication. Funding requests related to respond to all hazard and emergency preparedness must have a clear connection to the regional EMS catastrophic plan and the regional EMS development plan. Priority will be given to fund the ambulance services in each region that have committed to participating in the EMS strike team capability project and respond to requests for EMS, both interstate and intrastate, as identified in the State and regional mass casualty plans.
Provider Equipment
Purchases by providers of EMS are not limited to equipment. If a provider of EMS requests EMSOF moneys to purchase equipment, the Eligible Provider Equipment List included with this announcement identifies equipment for which EMSOF funds will be made available to purchase. This list provides the types of providers of EMS eligible for equipment purchases supported by EMSOF funding and the maximum allowable cost upon which the EMSOF contribution will be calculated.
EMSOF funds may be funded up to the maximum allowable cost of an equipment item. Providers of EMS that receive funding are responsible for the balance of the purchase price. The provider may purchase an item for an amount that exceeds the maximum allowable cost, but the provider will be responsible for any amount exceeding that figure.
Examinations
Funding may be provided to EMS agencies to cover the cost of the State written test for P, prehospital physician extender (PHPE), prehospital registered nurse (PHRN), AEMT, EMT and EMR certification taken by their personnel at 100% of the cost as established by the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT). Funding utilizing this method is limited to two testing attempts by the individual seeking certification
Medical Director
The maximum allowable cost for an EMS agency to contract for medical director oversight is $12,000 for Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
Eligible Provider Equipment List
LIFE Eligible Purchase for: ALLOWABLE
EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION EXPECTANCY ALS ALS/SQ IALS IALS/SQ BLS BLS/SQ QRS COSTS1
EKG Monitor/Defibrillator with Pacer 5 years Y Y N N N N N 12,000 12 Lead EKG2 5 years Y Y Y Y N N N 20,000 Automated External Defibrillator (AED) 5 years N N N N Y3 Y3 Y3 1,500 Automated External Defibrillator Trainer 5 years N N N N Y Y Y 400 Oxygen Equipment (any combination) Cylinder Demand Valve w/Hose and Mask Regulator (combination or constant flow—25 lpm capable) Case 5 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 500 Capnography Equipment 3 years Y Y Y Y N N N 3,000 CPAP Ventilation Portable Equipment 5 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 1,500 Pulse Oximeter 5 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 700 Nitrous Oxide Delivery System 5 years Y Y N N N N N 2,000 Intravenous Infusion Pumps 5 years Y Y N N N N N 2,000 Adult /Pediatric Intubation Kits 5 years Y4 Y4 N N N N N 600 Transtracheal Jet Insufflators (TTJ) 5 years Y Y N N N N N 200 Splinting/Immobilization Devices (any combination) Backboard Cervical Immobilization Device Splints (rigid, traction, and the like) 3 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 500 Stairchair 5 years Y N Y N Y N N Up to 5,000 Stretcher 5 years Y N Y N Y N N Up to 10,000 Stair Stretcher 500 lb. Capacity 5 years Y N Y Y Y N N 2,700 Suction (Portable) 3 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 900 Ventilator, Automatic (per Department of Health Guidelines) 5 years Y5 Y5 Y6 Y6 Y6 Y6 Y6 3,000 Ambulance with Chevron Marking on Back of Unit — Y N Y N Y N N - Chevron — Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 1,500 Squad/Response Vehicle with Chevron Marking on Back of Unit — N Y N Y N Y Y - Data Collection Software/Technology7 — Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 1,700 Data Collection Hardware8 3 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 2,000 Radio, Mobile (two per vehicle) 5 years Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 5,000 Radio, Portable (two per vehicle per year) 5 years Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 5,000 Triage Vest with Reflection Stripes Meeting ANSI National Standards 5 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 150 Triage System 5 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 750 Alerting Equipment (5 per service at $400 each) 5 years Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 2,000 Vehicle Safety Monitoring Systems 5 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 3,500 Personal Protective Equipment/Turnout Gear: Helmet, Coat, Pants, Boots
Protection Respiratory
Protection from Communicable Diseases5 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 1,200 Protective Ballistic Vest 5 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 1,000 Global Positioning System Receiver
one per licensed Ambulance or Recognized QRS Vehicle5 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 500 Traffic Safety Equipment 5 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 2,500 Large Patient Moving/Carrying Device 10 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 3,000 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (2 per licensed vehicle) 10 years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 3,000 P/PHPE/PHRN Testing (Written) — Current rate established by NREMT AEMT—Testing (Written) — Current rate established by NREMT EMT Testing (Written) — Current rate established by NREMT EMR Testing (Written) — Current rate established by NREMT CO Detectors (Monitors) 5 Years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 200 12 Lead EKG Transmitter System 5 Years Y Y Y Y N N N 1,000 IO Drills or Bone Injection Systems 5 Years Y Y Y Y N N N 300 Narcotics Security Systems 5 Years Y Y Y Y N N N 900 Refrigerators (mini) 10 Years Y Y Y Y N N N 1,200 Pediatric Safe Transport Device 10 Years Y N Y N Y N N Up to 400 Tourniquet (tactical) 5 Years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 25 Bariatric equipment 5 Years Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 27,000 ALS—Advanced Life Support ambulance service; ALSßQ—Advanced Life Support Squad service; IALS—Intermediate Advanced Life Support ambulance service; IALSßQ—Intermediate Advanced Life Support Squad service; BLS—Basic Life Support ambulance service; BLSßQ—Basic Life Support Squad service; QRS—Quick Response Service
1 All figures are dollar amounts for each item of equipment.
2 Amount includes $1,000 for communications package. Receiving facility must have appropriate communications capabilities.
3 Must be an approved AED service or part of regional planning and AED medical director required.
4 Must be durable equipment, not disposable equipment.
5 Completion of approved training program required.
6 Completion of approved training program required and BLS service medical director approval required.
7 Must be a Department-approved software program, version and vendor.
8 Data collection hardware may include computer, modem, printer, backup device and battery system.
9 Must be compatible with regional and State EMS communications plan.
Questions regarding this notice should be directed to Aaron M. Rhone, PhD, EMS Program Manager, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, Department of Health, 1310 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110, (717) 787-8740.
Persons with a disability who require an alternative format of this notice (for example, large print, audiotape, Braille) should contact Aaron M. Rhone, PhD at the previously listed address or telephone number or for speech or hearing impaired persons may use VTT: (717) 783-6514 or the Pennsylvania Hamilton Relay Service at (800) 654-5984.
ALISON BEAM,
Acting Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 21-1701. Filed for public inspection October 8, 2021, 9:00 a.m.]
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