Quinn signs bills to better emergency response

SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Pat Quinn has signed two pieces of legislation aimed at improving emergency response in rural areas of Illinois.

One bill is sponsored by Republican state Rep. Don Moffitt and Democratic state Sen. John Sullivan. It allows ambulance providers in rural areas to be upgraded to the highest emergency medical technician license of any person staffing that ambulance. Current law restricts an ambulance to a set level of emergency care regardless of the qualifications of those staffing it. The sponsors say the change allows more kinds of lifesaving procedures to be performed in an ambulance.

Another bill is sponsored by Moffitt and Republican state Sen. Chapin Rose. It allows firefighters trained as paramedics to use those skills in their roles as firefighters.