22-03-2025
WV EMS Coalition urges WV Legislature to review budget in fear of financial cuts
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) – Emergency Medical Services are some of the first people that arrive at the scene of an emergency. Now, the West Virginia EMS Coalition is reaching out to Governor Patrick Morrisey and the West Virginia Legislature, to review the EMS Salary Enhancement Fund.
The coalition represents the emergency medical service agencies in 51 counties in the state.
The EMS Salary Enhancement Funds is a program that was put in place by the West Virginia Legislature in 2023 to make EMS positions in the state more competitive with neighboring states.
Now, the coalition says there is no funding for the 2025 fiscal year budget. Anthony McDaniel, a board member for the WV EMS Coalition, goes into more detail behind the fund.
'Go across the border and sometimes make $10 to close to $20 an hour or more to do essentially the exact same job. So the legislature recognized that as an issue. They set up this fund and they created a different formula depending on how much local contribution was made from individual counties and the type of service they had,' said McDaniel.
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A release by the coalition says, unless funds are allocated for the program, EMS workers in West Virginia will lose $9 million dollars.
Reduction in salaries, loss of stipends and cuts in retention pay all contribute to the loss of funds.
McDaniel said if there are those in the community that want to reach out with support, there are multiple ways to do so.
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'Currently, there is a call to action out there to sign a joint letter supporting EMS salary enhancement funds going to go to the governor's office in the legislature. You don't have to be an in-house provider in order to sign that letter stating we recognized that the fund was created. There was actually no money allocated to that fund for the 25 and 26 year,' said McDaniel.
The coalition currently has the support of congresswoman Carol Miller for the Ground Ambulance Medical Services act, but is hoping for more support from the West Virginia legislature.
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