LINCOLN- On Wednesday, representatives from several rural Nebraska communities, mostly volunteer firefighters or EMTs, crowded into the Nebraska Capitol to voice their concerns over emergency service deserts in those areas of the state. Most rural communities in Nebraska utilize volunteer fire and rescue squads, but many are struggling to replace older veterans.

According to the testifiers, who spoke on Sen. Myron Dorn's LR206, rural populations are again as well, meaning calls for emergency services are up significantly. "The issues are systemwide," said Michael Dwyer, a firefighter and EMT from Arlington, "The trends are historic, and the current system of EMS is not sustainable."

Nebraska is currently one of three states with the highest rates of rural residents living more than a 25-minute drive from where an ambulance is stationed, with more than 76% of the state's counties containing residents who live at least that far away. Rural first responders called on the Legislature to consider upfront payments for training new emergency responders, instead of making each department seek reimbursement, saying that this will hopefully alleviate some of the problems plaguing rural Nebraska.

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