sure, this seems fair

The West Virginia EMS Coalition represents ambulance agencies and all levels of EMS personnel in in the Mountain State. Our membership provides emergency response services in 51 out of the 55 counties and we are responsible for over 80% of all EMS responses in WV. We would ask you to support HB 4116 relating to eligibility for the WV Invests Grant Program. Staffing shortages are negatively impacting response times throughout the state. News organizations have reported on deaths in counties where an ambulance was not immediately available for dispatch. And the Office of EMS has provided data indicating the average response time in some counties can exceed 30 minutes. For both volunteer and paid EMS agencies, the cost of education is a challenge when recruiting EMTs and Paramedics. The WV Invests grants covers tuition to any state Community and Technical College for a certificate or an associate degree in in-demand, high-paying fields but many are ineligible for the grants under current law. Under current law, individuals are ineligible if they have been previously awarded a post-secondary degree. This restriction prevents individuals from obtaining WV Invests grants for EMS training if they have a degree in another field and wish to volunteer. Similarly, many EMS personnel elect to pursue public service as a paid first responder as a second career. HB 4116 updates the WV Invest Grant to allow individuals who have been previously awarded a degree to qualify for the grant if they are seeking an associate degree or certificate in emergency medical services. Representatives of the Higher Education Policy Commission has indicated alternative funds are available for this purpose but our members and community and technical colleges teaching EMS programs have indicated these funds are inadequate and set to expire in the near future. Updating the WV Invests grant will help put more ambulances in service and save lives. We hope you will join the WV EMS Coalition in supporting this legislation.

I am writing in strong support of HB 4116 and the proposed update to the WV Invests program to remove restrictions that prevent individuals with prior degrees from qualifying for EMS education funding. Across West Virginia, EMS staffing shortages are not theoretical, they are affecting real patients and real communities. Response times in some areas are exceeding 30 minutes, and there have been reported cases where ambulances were not immediately available when needed. This is a workforce crisis with direct life-and-death consequences. One of the biggest barriers to strengthening our EMS system is the cost of education. Volunteer agencies, in particular, struggle to recruit. It is already difficult to find people willing to volunteer their time; requiring them to first pay thousands of dollars for training makes recruitment nearly impossible. This bill addresses that barrier directly. The current WV Invests restriction that excludes individuals who already hold a post-secondary degree does not reflect how people enter EMS today. Many highly qualified individuals want to serve their communities as volunteers or enter EMS as a second career after working in another field. Preventing them from accessing tuition assistance for EMS training limits the very group that could help stabilize our workforce quickly. EMS is an essential public safety and healthcare service. Updating WV Invests to include individuals with prior degrees who are pursuing EMS certification or an associate degree will help put more ambulances in service, improve response times, and ultimately save lives. I respectfully urge support for HB 4116.

Our agency has had at least two full time EMT employees who were unable to enroll in paramedic classes through WV Invest due to having accumulated excessive college credits in other programs prior to EMS.  The EMS industry has faced a staffing crisis for several years, and the situation continues to worsen.  Opening this educational pathway would assist in enabling us to staff our ambulances with Advanced Life Support personnel rather than Basic Life Support, significantly enhancing the level of care provided to our patients. We appreciate all you do to support EMS and respectfully request your support of HB4116 to help us continue delivering critical, life-saving services during emergencies.  

I support this bill. This would be an amazing opportunity for many West Virginians, could help rebuild our state.

Dear Members of the Higher Education Subcommittee,

I would ask you to support HB 4116 relating to eligibility for the WV Invests Grant Program. This bill is scheduled for markup and discussion on the 2:00 pm Higher Education Subcommittee agenda Staffing shortages are negatively impacting response times throughout the state. News organizations have reported on deaths in counties where an ambulance was not immediately available for dispatch. And the Office of EMS has provided data indicating the average response time in some counties can exceed 30 minutes. For both volunteer and paid EMS agencies, the cost of education is a challenge when recruiting EMTs and Paramedics. The WV Invests grants covers tuition to any state Community and Technical College for a certificate or an associate degree in in-demand, high-paying fields but many are ineligible for the grants under current law. Under current law, individuals are ineligible if they have been previously awarded a post-secondary degree. This restriction prevents individuals from obtaining WV Invests grants for EMS training if they have a degree in another field and wish to volunteer. Similarly, many EMS personnel elect to pursue public service as a paid first responder as a second career. HB 4116 updates the WV Invest Grant to allow individuals who have been previously awarded a degree to qualify for the grant if they are seeking an associate degree or certificate in emergency medical services. Although representatives of the Higher Education Policy Commission have indicated that alternative funds are available for this purpose, our members and the community and technical colleges offering EMS programs have pointed out that these funds are both inadequate and set to expire in the near future. Updating the WV Invests grant will help put more ambulances in service and save lives. We hope you will join the WV EMS Coalition in supporting this legislation. Thank you for you time, Chad Knox WVU Parkersburg EMS Program Director

House Bill 4116 addresses a significant and ongoing challenge in training Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers in West Virginia. For many individuals, EMS is a second career. These students have often already exhausted their federal financial aid eligibility while pursuing education or training for a previous profession. As a result, they are frequently ineligible for traditional financial aid programs, including West Virginia Invests, despite entering a field with a critical workforce shortage. Currently, a temporary solution exists through Department of Labor funding secured via congressionally directed spending and administered through the Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC). However, this funding is limited in duration. Once it expires, the state will face a substantial funding gap that will directly impact our ability to recruit, train, and retain enough EMS providers to meet workforce demands. House Bill 4116 offers a practical option to help fill this gap and support the sustainability of the EMS workforce. I strongly encourage consideration of this bill as a necessary investment in public safety and the future of emergency medical care in West Virginia.

House Bill 4116 addresses a significant and ongoing challenge in training Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers in West Virginia.

For many individuals, EMS is a second career. These students have often already exhausted their federal financial aid eligibility while pursuing education or training for a previous profession. As a result, they are frequently ineligible for traditional financial aid programs, including West Virginia Invests, despite entering a field with a critical workforce shortage. Currently, a temporary solution exists through Department of Labor funding secured via congressionally directed spending and administered through the Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC). However, this funding is limited in duration. Once it expires, the state will face a substantial funding gap that will directly impact our ability to recruit, train, and retain enough EMS providers to meet workforce demands. House Bill 4116 offers a practical option to help fill this gap and support the sustainability of the EMS workforce. I strongly encourage consideration of this bill as a necessary investment in public safety and the future of emergency medical care in West Virginia.

House Bill 4116 addresses a significant and ongoing challenge in training Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers in West . These students have often already exhausted their federal financial aid eligibility while pursuing education or training for a previous profession. As a result, they are frequently ineligible for traditional financial aid programs, including West Virginia Invests, despite entering a field with a critical workforce shortage.   Currently, a temporary solution exists through Department of Labor funding secured via congressionally directed spending and administered through the Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC). However, this funding is limited in duration. Once it expires, the state will face a substantial funding gap that will directly impact our ability to recruit, train, and retain enough EMS providers to meet workforce demands. House Bill 4116 offers a practical option to help fill this gap and support the sustainability of the EMS workforce. I strongly encourage consideration of this bill as a necessary investment in public safety and the future of emergency medical care in West Virginia.

As someone who works in EMS full time and volunteers in my spare time, I see many people consider coming into EMS as a second career but are constrained by the financial aspect of having to pay for school, going to school, and possibly missing work for clinical hours, adding additional constraints that ultimately causes them to choose a different career path for a second career. With the current issues of EMS staffing within the state, particularly paramedic level providers that can provide advanced care to very sick or injured patients, it would be within West Virginias best interest to allow people wanting to use the WV Invests Grant to pursue their EMT or paramedic certifications.

Please realize the importance of this bill and vote for it.  Thank you.

Please vote yes for this bill to help EMS in WV

Dear Members of the Higher Education Subcommittee,

The West Virginia EMS Coalition represents ambulance agencies and all levels of EMS personnel in in the Mountain State. Our membership provides emergency response services in 51 out of the 55 counties and we are responsible for over 80% of all EMS responses in WV.

We would ask you to support HB 4116 relating to eligibility for the WV Invests Grant Program. This bill is scheduled for markup and discussion on the 2:00 pm Higher Education Subcommittee agenda. A one-page fact sheet is attached to this e-mail Staffing shortages are negatively impacting response times throughout the state. News organizations have reported on deaths in counties where an ambulance was not immediately available for dispatch. And the Office of EMS has provided data indicating the average response time in some counties can exceed 30 minutes. For both volunteer and paid EMS agencies, the cost of education is a challenge when recruiting EMTs and Paramedics. The WV Invests grants covers tuition to any state Community and Technical College for a certificate or an associate degree in in-demand, high-paying fields but many are ineligible for the grants under current law. Under current law, individuals are ineligible if they have been previously awarded a post-secondary degree. This restriction prevents individuals from obtaining WV Invests grants for EMS training if they have a degree in another field and wish to volunteer. Similarly, many EMS personnel elect to pursue public service as a paid first responder as a second career. HB 4116 updates the WV Invest Grant to allow individuals who have been previously awarded a degree to qualify for the grant if they are seeking an associate degree or certificate in emergency medical services. Although representatives of the Higher Education Policy Commission have indicated that alternative funds are available for this purpose, our members and the community and technical colleges offering EMS programs have pointed out that these funds are both inadequate and set to expire in the near future. Updating the WV Invests grant will help put more ambulances in service and save lives. We hope you will join the WV EMS Coalition in supporting this legislation.

Dear Committee Members, We ask that you support HB 4116, this bill will benefit the workforce for EMS in the State. Thank you for considering this bill. Sincerely, Monica Mason KCEAA Executive Director

This bill will help solve the childcare crisis in several distinct ways. It will increase the quality of early childhood education programs by helping existing staff obtain early childhood education degrees. High-quality early childhood education is a smart investment. Brain development and wiring that build the potential to learn begin at birth. The first 3 years of life have the greatest impact on a person's future learning and earnings. We must insist that the individuals who care for our future understand their role. This increase in staff education can help a program achieve a higher WV Tier level status. The WV childcare subsidy program sets payment rates based on Tier level. These higher rates will increase childcare program operating revenue and staff wages. Increased revenue will stabilize childcare programs. The potential to receive this scholarship will also be an excellent recruiting tool to introduce more people to the early childhood education field. Creating a larger pool of qualified or "working-on-qualifications" applicants for new childcare businesses will help increase access to high-quality programs. I would like to see an additional requirement that the scholarship recipient work in a childcare program that accepts the WV childcare subsidy. Due to low childcare subsidy rates and additional WV DoH paperwork requirements for payments, many childcare providers are not enrolling families who rely on subsidized childcare to work. Families are out of the workforce because they cannot find childcare providers to accept the subsidy program. This scholarship opportunity would encourage childcare programs to accept at least a percentage of subsidized children.

This seems like a great thing to have for PSC especially having a family member who is currently attending PSC.