New Statewide Recruitment Initiative To Boost EMS Workforce

ALTOONA – Ahead of EMS Week from May 18-24, the PA Department of Health Executive Deputy Secretary Kristen Rodack visited a PA EMS station to launch a new statewide initiative to attract and recruit Pennsylvanians to the emergency medical services field. The Department will partner with all 13 Pennsylvania regional EMS councils to host career days offering opportunities to speak with local EMS responders and learn more about the role through on-site activities. To assist in the effort, Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal adds $6 million more per year for the next three years to the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund, which would be disbursed through the regional EMS councils to local stations for activities such as recruitment and retention programs. Executive Deputy Secretary Kristen Rodack said, “Providing 24-hour access to emergency care is no easy feat because every call for help has unique circumstances and many EMS services are stretched thin. We need to work together to create a pipeline of Pennsylvanians who want to serve their communities as EMS professionals.”