FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

State Rep. Mike Sturla
D-Lancaster
Chairman, Democratic Policy Committee
www.pahouse.com/sturla

 

State Rep. Deberah Kula
D-Fayette/Westmoreland
Hearing Co-Chair
www.pahouse.com/kula

 

**--RSS--**MEDIA ADVISORY

Democratic Policy Committee to hold public hearing on

EMS Certification Regulations Wednesday in Uniontown

 

UNIONTOWN, Aug. 20 – House Democratic Policy Chairman Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, announced today that the committee will hold a public hearing about recent regulations regarding Emergency Medical Service certification from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Penn State Fayette's Eberly Campus, Williams Building, Swimmer Hall, One University Drive, Uniontown.

 

State Rep. Deberah Kula, D-Fayette/Westmoreland, requested the hearing and will serve as co-chair. The hearing will focus on new national certification requirements set to take effect in 2013, under which Pennsylvania could lose control of paramedic training and testing and the cost of becoming a paramedic could increase eight times, from $2,500 to $20,000.

 

Kula said most of the Emergency Medical Services training institutes in southwestern Pennsylvania oppose the new certification process, which will fall under the auspices of the Texas-based Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Professions (CoAEMSP). The Pa. Department of Health currently oversees this training.

 

The current hearing agenda is:

·         2 p.m. – Welcome and opening remarks

·         2:10 p.m. – Panel one:

Ø  Dr. Cataldo Corrado, chairman, Fayette County Emergency Medical Services Council

Ø  William Groft, director of operations, Mutual Aid Ambulance Service

·         2:50 p.m. – Panel two:

Ø  Richard Adobato, chief of operations, Fayette Emergency Medical Service

Ø  Ted Mellor, director, Penn State Fayette’s Center for Community and Public Safety

·         3:30 p.m. – Public Comments

·         4 p.m. – Closing remarks

 

The hearing is open to the public and media coverage is invited.

 

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CONTACT: Jim Dawes

House Democratic Policy Committee
Phone: 717-787-3555

Email: jdawes@pahouse.net