State leaders highlighted new funding aimed at improving emergency response across pennsylvania, and on Monday, that conversation was happening right here in Erie.
The Shapiro administration is proposing an additional $6 million to support EMS professionals statewide.
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Officials said the funding would go towards updated equipment and resources to help first responders better handle the more than 2 million emergency calls they respond to each year.
On Monday, Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen in Erie was at Emergycare showcasing new equipment and how those upgrades could improve patient outcomes.
This proposal builds on roughly $56 million already invested into the state’s EMS operating fund since 2023.
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“This equipment really keeps the EMS providers safe, so they can do their job effectively and it speeds response of someone getting into an ambulance quicker. Each equipment is for a specific need, and we keep modernizing that equipment and making it better,” Secretary Bogen said.
The $6 million is a part of Governor Shapiro’s proposed yearly budget, which still needs legislative approval as budget negotiations continue in Harrisburg.
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