Dec 18, 2008 7:21 pm US/Eastern
Legislation Planned To Change Md. Medevac System
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ/AP) ―
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Two Maryland state senators say they will propose legislation to change how Maryland's Medevac system is managed.
CBS
Two Maryland state senators say they will propose legislation to change how Maryland's Medevac system is managed.
Republican Sen. E.J. Pipkin and Democratic Sen. John Astle say the changes are needed to address maintenance and other safety issues raised by an August audit report and a Medevac crash that killed four people in September.
Pat Warren reports this plan calls for splitting Maryland's existing helicopter program into two fleets.
One fleet would focus on emergency medical services and would be operated by the Maryland State Police or private contractors. The other fleet would focus on law enforcement and homeland security.
They say they want to make it safer and more cost-effective.
"Somehow along the way the focus has been on helicopters and not on saving lives. We believe these two bills take that focus on saving lives and turns it back to where it should be," said Pipkin.
The proposal would require the emergency medical services fleet to be certified under a nationally recognized accreditation program.
Already an expert panel is making recommendations to the Emergency Medical Services Board, which include reducing flights, conforming to commercial aviation standards and putting a second paramedic on board.
The senators say they have not yet spoken to the legislative leaders or the governor's office about their proposals.
In addition to possible legislative action, the Emergency Medical Services Board expects to receive final recommendations from its expect panel in January.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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