Casperson wants to create legislation to help EMS units

A Michigan State Senator has offered to be the voice of rural EMS stations across Upper Michigan.

Michigan State Senator Tom Casperson made the announcement Friday at the U.P EMS Conference in Marquette.

He said new legislation is needed to provide proper funding of Emergency Medical Service units across the state–especially in the Upper Peninsula.

“Somebody said, ‘Who’s going to represent us?’  In other words, the volunteer who felt a little disenfranchised that nobody’s listening, they don’t have somebody specific,” Casperson said.

Casperson believes funding should be spread out more evenly across the state and volunteer stations–which represent a large number of agencies in the U.P.–should not be overlooked.

More than 70 agencies were in attendance at the conference, including agencies from Wisconsin.

Casperson addressed those from outside the state of Michigan with encouragement for them to contact their state legislators to get the ball rolling with better funding for them as well.