State Reps. Tim Bonner, R-8th, and and Parke Wentling, R-17th, brought emergency responders and health care professionals together earlier this week to testify before the House Majority Policy Committee on the issues they are facing.

The committee received testimony Tuesday at the Grove City Municipal Building concerning funding problems, staffing shortages, delayed response times, quality of care issues, and the future path of the ambulance service in Pennsylvania.

“In order to address the needs of our citizens, we must fix the EMS and ambulance crisis,” said Bonner. “EMS personnel are overworked and the ambulance companies are underfunded. This hearing is part of the process to find solutions to problems with the delivery of medical care to those facing a medical emergency.”

Wentling echoed this sentiment.

“It is critical that we help our first responders overcome obstacles they face,” Wentling said. “These men and women work tirelessly to ensure our communities receive all vital services, and I thank them for their dedication.”

Douglas Dick, EMS chief for Superior Ambulance Service, said the key to having a sustainable EMS system will be to collaborate with municipal, county and state leaders in developing financial assistance for the short term.

“We then need to work on financial models between EMS, communities and all health care payers that will remain sustainable into the future,” Dick said.