A local paramedic is reaching out to lawmakers across the country to try to get a bill passed he hopes will save lives.
Nicholas J. Orcutt has worked as paramedic in central New York since 2017 and in emergency medical services in other locations, as well, for more than 15 years.
"I loved and hated it,” Orcutt said. “It's one of the worst, best jobs to ever have, and it's sad because I realized being in it, how broken that field is."
Now, Orcutt writes “The Fractured Line” on Substack, where he shares his experiences and expertise and is an advocate for EMS workers nationwide.
He’s working to get support from federal lawmakers for a bill he wrote called the “Jesse Culotti EMS Matters Act,” in honor of his former partner, who died last year at age 36.
Orcutt is working to spread the word about the stressors EMTs and paramedics face.
"I could walk in (to work) at 6 a.m., go deal with a 4-year-old who got hit by a car, and then after that, I'm taking another call,” he said. “There's not a level where the providers get to take care of themselves."
Orcutt’s reform bill would move emergency medical services from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Health and Human Services.
"That way, the Department of EMS becomes a line item, not just part of another feature,” he said. “Once you get that line item part, you can budget it properly, and when you budget it properly, that includes training, that includes a professionalism status. It turns into a cohesive unit."
Orcutt would like EMS services to be funded as an essential service and be paid for readiness, unlike many models which primarily only pay for transportation.
"If you called 911, you know that the police are there,” he said. “You know that the fire department's there. Ambulances only get reimbursed and paid if they transport somebody, so what happens is, they have to justify their existence by bringing somebody to the hospital, and that kneecaps their professionalism."
The proposal would also create a national minimum standard for EMS services, and each county would create its own readiness plan.
Orcutt said that would ensure EMS services are available in an emergency and would help workers avoid burnout.
"EMS is kind of one of those weird fields where there's a large population of volunteers who do it, and the volunteers mean well, but places have relied on volunteers. It has become part of the business model, and that doesn't work when it's your life or your loved one's life at risk," he said.
Orcutt said he has spoken with multiple lawmakers about his proposal like Rep. John Huot and Sen. Judy Seeberger of Minnesota’s EMS Task Force and Rep. Dusty Johnson of Colorado. He said he has also reached out to Rep. John Mannion (D-NY) about his proposal, since he lives in Mannion's district.
We reached out to Mannion’s office, and a spokesperson responded, "Representative Mannion hasn’t taken a position on this legislation, but he always appreciates hearing from his constituents about ways to improve the federal government."
Orcutt said he is also speaking with New York state and local lawmakers about the policy changes he is hoping to see.
