There aren’t many state legislators more engaged in the issues surrounding rural EMS services than Rep. Martin Causer.

The Bradford-area Republican is frequently part of rural EMS task force meetings and is asking for support for legislation he is drafting that would create an independent Office of EMS Commissioner to operate within the state Health Department.

The idea is one that Causer recently discussed during an EMS Task Force meeting he hosted in McKean County recently.

Causer thinks creating the state office, which would require the state EMS commissioner to have a separate line item in the state budget and report directly to the governor will elevate EMS issues in Harrisburg.

Causer also wants to establish a new statewide EMS advisory board to assist the EMS commissioner with the prescribed powers and duties and to provide advice and recommendations on matters related to the state’s EMS delivery system.

The new advisory board under this legislation contemplates acting in similar fashion to both the commonwealth’s current state fire advisory board and the 911 advisory board.

We find it hard to believe that the Wolf and Shapiro administrations aren’t already aware of the issues facing rural EMS providers. The issue isn’t that people don’t know about the lack of EMS providers or the issues with reimbursement rates.

It’s that rural governments will struggle to afford local government-backed EMS, and state officials don’t seem willing to put state money behind a true government option for EMS.

Causer is certainly on the front lines of the fight to create an EMS system that works for rural Pennsylvanians. But if he’s struggling to gain traction for his efforts in Harrisburg, why would a new position fare better than he does? The issues and the best solutions are clear – it’s how to pay for solutions that is unclear.

We’re not sure how a new commissioner solves that problem.