CONTACT:
Rep. Amy Loudenbeck
[email protected]
(608) 266-9967
Madison – Today, Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) was recognized by the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin (PFFW) as 2018’s Legislator of the Year for leading on several bills for Fire and EMS, as well as her support for public safety during the last legislative session.
Loudenbeck has been a strong supporter of public safety and the fire service in the legislature and in life. She is a former volunteer firefighter for the Town of Linn in Walworth County and is married to a career firefighter/paramedic.
“Communities across Wisconsin rely on Fire and EMS services, and I am honored to receive this award in recognition of the critical public policy initiatives my office championed this session on their behalf,” said Loudenbeck
During the 2017-18 legislative session, Rep. Loudenbeck authored three bills related to Fire and EMS that all passed with bipartisan support and were signed into law.
- Act 12 updated Wisconsin’s language in statutes and codes regarding Fire and EMS to match federal guidelines.
- Act 66 created Community Emergency Medical Services (CEMS). It advances opportunities for non-emergency health care services in Wisconsin by creating and defining community paramedics (CPs) and community emergency medical technicians (CEMTs). It also creates the framework allowing hospitals, private ambulance companies, and municipal EMS providers to develop new strategies for delivering quality care, in the right place, at the right time.
- Act 336 will expand the existing Career and Technical Education (CTE) Incentive Grant to include a specialized Public Safety Certification Incentive Grant program for high school students. It creates a new Public Safety Certification Incentive Grant Completion Award which provides a $500 student award payment upon successful completion of Firefighter I, Firefighter II or EMT Basic. In addition, school districts would receive up to $1,000 when these students graduate, consistent with the existing Career and Technical Education Incentive Grant program.
“The Community EMS bill allowing departments to provide mobile integrated health services to address community needs has the potential to improve health outcomes while reducing overall medical costs. As Fire and EMS has begun to see their role change from rescue and transport, to more hands on health care, this bill allows these trained professionals to use their talents and knowledge to be part of a solution in making sure there is more access to health care, especially in areas where a hospital may be a significant distance away.
“The Public Safety Certification Incentive Grant program for high school students will introduce more young people to training opportunities and help restock the Fire and EMS worker pipeline. As many departments across the state face recruitment and retention issues, this is one way to try to address and incentivize young people to consider Fire and EMS as a profession.
“I look forward to working with PFFW and their members in the future to continue to address issues facing Fire and EMS across Wisconsin,” said Loudenbeck.
Rep. Loudenbeck’s Chief of Staff, Danielle Zimmerman, also received a special award from PFFW for her work and support of Fire and EMS.
