For Immediate Release: January 24, 2012

Cuyahoga County Delegation Supports Passage of Legislation Permitting EMTs to Administer Immunizations
COLUMBUSState Representatives Marlene Anielski (R-Walton Hills) and Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) announced that the Ohio House of Representatives today passed House Bill 244, which permits authorized paramedics to administer immunizations for influenza to firefighters or emergency medical technicians. Under current Ohio law, local fire and EMS departments must hire contractors to provide immunizations. H.B. 244 provides an option for these departments to allow authorized paramedics to administer these shots, offering increased scheduling flexibility and cost savings. Reducing the cost of government, restoring common sense policies, and returning the ability for our cities and townships to budget responsibly is a necessity to protect taxpayers, said Dovilla. House Bill 244 demonstrates how sensible solutions can be applied to make government more efficient by entrusting our public safety forces to do what they are trained to accomplish. In the House Health and Aging Committee, Columbus Division of Fire Medical Director David Keseg testified in support of H.B. 244, saying that this legislation will decrease the spread of influenza from EMS providers to the public they serve. Further, he noted that paramedics are already trained to administer flu immunizations, but the current legal authority to do this was limited. It is absolutely necessary to give our local emergency crews the tools they need to manage their costs, said Anielski. House Bill 244 is just one of the many ways that we are striving to give cost saving measures back to our municipalities. H.B. 244 passed by a vote of 91-0 and will now be sent to the Senate for further consideration. -30For more information, please contact Chris Ventura in Rep. Dovillas office at (614) 466-4895 or Kristen Bussell in Rep. Anielskis office at (614) 644-6041.