7 U.S.C. § 2655 — Rural firefighters and emergency medical service assistance program

(a) Emergency medical services. (1) “Emergency medical services” means resources a public or nonprofit entity uses to deliver medical care outside a medical facility during an emergency caused by a patient’s condition, a natural disaster, or a related condition. (2) The term includes paid or volunteer services delivered by an emergency-medical-services provider or another provider recognized by the State involved that is licensed or certified by the State as an emergency medical technician or the equivalent, as determined by the State; a registered nurse; a physician assistant; or a physician that provides services similar to services provided by such an emergency-medical-services provider. (b) Grants. The Secretary must award grants to eligible entities to improve rural emergency medical services and to pay for training firefighters and emergency medical personnel in firefighting, emergency medical practices, and responses to hazardous materials and bioagents in rural areas. (c) Eligibility. An applicant must be a State emergency-medical-services office or association, State rural-health office or equivalent, local government, Indian tribe as defined in 25 U.S.C. § 5304, State or local ambulance provider, or another public or nonprofit entity the Secretary approves. It must also submit an application in the required time, form, and manner, including a description of grant activities and an assurance that it will meet subsection (f)’s matching requirement. (d) Use of funds. Grant money may be used only in a rural area to hire or recruit emergency medical personnel; recruit or retain volunteers; train personnel in emergency response, injury prevention, safety awareness, or other relevant subjects; meet State or Federal certification requirements; improve firefighter or emergency-medical training facilities, equipment, curricula, or personnel; develop technology-based education such as distance learning; buy emergency medical vehicles including ambulances; buy equipment including cardiac defibrillators; buy personal protective equipment for emergency medical services personnel as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; or educate the public about CPR, first aid, injury prevention, safety awareness, illness prevention, or related emergency preparedness. (e) Preference. The Secretary must prefer applications showing collaboration among at least two eligible-entity types and applications planning activities listed in subsection (d)(1)–(5). (f) Matching. The Secretary may not grant money unless the entity provides, directly or through other public or private contributions, non-Federal contributions worth at least 5 percent of the grant amount. (g) Funding. Up to $30 million may be appropriated for each fiscal year 2008 through 2012. Up to 5 percent of each year’s amount may pay administrative expenses.