W.Va. counties looking to receive ‘crucial’ permanent EMS funding for the first time

LINCOLN COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - “It’s going to save many lives.”

Trish Watson, the director of Lincoln County EMS, said she’s “ecstatic” about the West Virginia Legislature passing a bill that would provide a permanent funding source for county EMS agencies, marking the first time the state provided them any sort of permanent funding.

“It’s going to keep trucks on the road. It’s going to keep an ambulance open that I might have otherwise had to shut down.” Watson told WSAZ. “It’s going to save numerous lives throughout the state. Not just in my county, but throughout the state.”

At the end of its legislative session, state lawmakers passed H.B. 5168, which provides $12 million from the state’s lottery funds to EMS agencies.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey has yet to sign the bill.

The funds will be split:

• $6 million to the Medical Services Crisis Response and Mental Health Treatment Fund. The first $1 million is allotted for mental health and trauma response treatment and training. The remaining $5 million can be used for things like equipment and training.
• $3 million to county commissions, exclusively for EMS services; only counties that provide funding themselves to EMS services through excess levies or fees will be eligible for this money, which will be allocated by population
• $3 million to all counties for EMS services, allocated by population

Chris Hall, the executive director of the West Virginia EMS Coalition, called the situation “dire,” and he told WSAZ that without the funding, stations would have to close - especially with rising costs.

“Every day there’s agencies that are making these decisions: ‘Do I stay open? Can I stay open?’” he said. “So when you talk about every little bit of funding helps, but when you start talking about $12 million, it’s going to make a difference in some of these communities, particularly the small rural ones.”

Watson said the money will help Lincoln County EMS pay its workers and maintain equipment and trucks, as well as potentially hiring new staff and purchasing more life-saving equipment. Staff would be able to be paid with money that would be freed up by the additional funds.

“[There are] just so many things that it can help with,” she told WSAZ. “It helps in so many aspects. Just more than one breath can tell you.”

“It’s a huge step in fixing a huge problem,” she said.