by Idaho Reports staff
Monday was EMS Day at the Capitol, and Idaho Reports caught up with Wayne Denny, EMS Bureau Chief for the Department of Health and Welfare, to talk about emergency medical service goals for the session.
“The way that Idaho code is written today, it hints at the fact that EMS is important, but what it doesn’t say is that EMS is essential,” Denny said. “EMS is not only essential, but it should be reasonably available.”
(Morgan McCollum/Idaho Reports)
In 2021, the Office of Performance Evaluations published a report on emergency medical services in rural Idaho, highlighting funding and staffing challenges and pointing out that about 7 out of 10 emergency medical workers are volunteers. The EMS Sustainability Taskforce plans to work with lawmakers in the coming legislative session regarding the issue. In the leadup to those tentative discussions, producer Ruth Brown spent time in summer 2022 visiting parts of Idaho where EMS directors say they are struggling with inadequate funding.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.
Samantha Martinez | Voces Internship of Idaho ’23
Samantha Martinez is a Boise State University student who was born in Mississippi and has lived all over the country, but considers Idaho home. She became interested in journalism because she has always loved writing and wanted to add to the growing number of Latinos in media. She is excited to be a credible source of truth and information for Idahoans, and looks forward to covering state affairs and education.