On September 17, the House of Representatives passed S. 265, the SIREN Reauthorization Act. This legislation will reauthorize funding for a grant program to support rural EMS.
Located at the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Rural EMS Training and Equipment Assistance (REMSTEA; also known as the SIREN grant program) provides grants directly to rural fire and non-profit EMS organizations. Specifically, the program funds training and certifications for EMS personnel and the purchase of medical equipment for rural EMS agencies.
S. 265 was introduced by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Susan Collins (R-ME) on February 2, 2023, and it passed the Senate on December 13. The bill would reauthorize the REMSTEA program through FY 2028. It also would remove the 10% local match for the program. In addition, the bill would require grantees to ensure that EMS personnel are trained to care for people suffering from mental health and substance abuse in emergency situations. It also would clarify that the grant’s funds could buy drugs like Naloxone to treat overdoses.
Representatives David Joyce (R-OH) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced the House companion bill, H.R. 4646. The bill has 22 cosponsors and was passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 20.
Now that S. 265 has passed the House of Representatives, it will go to President Biden to sign into law.
“I thank Senators Durbin and Collins and Representatives Joyce and Dingell for taking the lead in preserving this important program,” said Fire Chief Josh Waldo, President and Board Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. “Over the past five years, rural EMS has had to face several challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic; the opioid epidemic; declining budgets; and the recruitment and retention issues facing the nation’s fire and emergency service. The SIREN grant program throws a lifeline to these agencies as they struggle to serve their communities.”