Lawmakers are studying whether ambulance services should be taxpayer funded.

State EMS and Trauma Systems Manager Shari Graham told lawmakers every county in the state has ambulance deserts. That means response times take longer than 25 minutes. Just a few minutes can be the difference between life and death.

Graham says most ambulance services have two or more risk factors threatening their stability.

“What does that mean? It means rural EMS is in crisis,” Graham told lawmakers.