§ 8102. Declaration of policy. The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) Emergency medical services are an essential public service and frequently the health care safety net for many Commonwealth residents.

(2) It is in the public interest to assure that there are high quality and coordinated emergency and urgent medical services readily available to the residents of this Commonwealth to prevent premature death and reduce suffering and disability which arise from severe illness and injury.

(3) The public interest under paragraph (2) is best achieved through a regulated and coordinated emergency medical services system.

(4) Transportation of both emergency and nonemergency patients is an integral part of the health care delivery system in this Commonwealth, and it is in the public interest that the emergency medical services system serve all persons in this Commonwealth who:

(i) require medical care to address illness or injury;

(ii) need transportation to a hospital or other health care facility to receive that care; and

(iii) require medical assessment, monitoring, assistance, treatment or observation during transportation.

(5) It serves the public interest if the emergency medical services system is able to quickly adapt and evolve to meet the needs of the residents of this Commonwealth for emergency and urgent medical care and to reduce their illness and injury risks.

(6) It serves the public interest if the emergency medical services system provides community-based health promotion services that are integrated with the overall health care system.

(7) Emergency medical services should be acknowledged, promoted and supported as an essential public service.

(8) This chapter shall be liberally construed to establish and maintain an effective and efficient emergency medical services system which is accessible on a uniform basis to residents of this Commonwealth and to visitors to this Commonwealth.

(9) Residents of this Commonwealth and visitors to this Commonwealth should have prompt and unimpeded access to urgent and emergency medical care throughout this Commonwealth.

(10) The Department of Health should continually assess and, as needed, revise the functions of emergency medical services agencies and providers and other components of the emergency medical services system that it regulates under this chapter to:

(i) improve the quality of emergency medical services provided in this Commonwealth;

(ii) have the emergency medical services system adapt to changing needs of the residents of this Commonwealth; and

(iii) promote the recruitment and retention of persons willing and qualified to serve as emergency medical services providers in this Commonwealth.

(11) The emergency medical services system should be fully integrated with the overall health care system, and in particular with the public health system, to identify, modify and manage illness and injury and illness and injury risks.