News Tribune

By Matthew Baker

Shelba Bimm, a Utica emergency medical technician, can remember when the EMS program was first starting in 1980.
At that time a veteran who had served as a military medic wanted to join the department.

“He had more experience than any of us who were EMTs,” Bimm said.

Unfortunately his lack of civilian EMT certification meant he could only drive ambulances, not assist patients. Problems like that could become a thing of the past.

The Veterans Emergency Medic Technician Support Act of 2012 (HR 4124), sponsored by U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon), recently passed in the House and is now waiting for Senate approval. It was created to streamline the process returning veterans with combat medic training and experience go through when attempting to find similar work as civilians.

“Many states do not recognize their military training as applicable to the licensing requirements of the civilian health care system,” Kinzinger said Wednesday morning at the Utica fire station.

Flanked by state Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) and state Rep. Pam Roth (R-Morris), Kinzinger touted the legislation as an example of commonsense, bipartisan legislation that will help veterans transition to civilian life and meet the demands of rural areas in need of EMTs. He also said it provides a good opportunity for federal and state legislators to come together for a common cause.

If approved, the legislation will provide federal funding to states to streamline the requirements and procedures needed for veterans with military EMT training to meet state EMT certification.

Rezin said Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs director Erica Borggren is working to address some of those concerns.

Currently, the process to becoming certified as a paramedic in Illinois requires more than 1,000 hours of classroom training and practical experiences, explained Bobbi Ruban, EMS system coordinator at Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru.

That means a combat medic may have to go through months of redundant training before he or she can find a civilian position similar to the military career.

Ruban also confirmed Kinzinger’s statement that rural areas, including the Illinois Valley, are lacking in EMTs and paramedics.

“We’re very fortunate to just have very dedicated people,” said Rosemary McGinnis, EMS coordinator at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Ottawa.
She said the EMTs and paramedics in the area go “above and beyond” working long hours to serve the community.

Kizninger believes the Senate will consider the legislation during the upcoming lame duck session.

“There hasn’t been any opposition as of yet,” he said.