Schoesler's bill helps ambulances in Garfield

OLYMPIA — It's easier to hire ambulance drivers for Garfield and Farmington due to a new law.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5198 into law allowing ambulance services by an association to hire drivers without requiring medical training to insure they have enough personnel to operate.

"This bill will allow the continued operations of shared ambulance services so communities like Farmington and Garfield don't have to turn to other providers farther away, simply because the driver of the ambulance isn't trained in first aid," stated bill sponsor Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville.

The 2021 law...