MONTGOMERY, Ala. — On Friday, Gov. Kay Ivey (R-Ala.) awarded a grant to The Alabama Department of Public Health in order to help fund its electronic Patient Care Reporting system. The $60,000 will be used to improve the state program, which aims to track emergency medical services’ responses to calls.

“Quick and quality assistance by emergency medical personnel can mean the difference between life and death in medical emergencies, and our first responders work tirelessly to provide that quality of service,” Ivey said. “With support from this grant, the Alabama Patient Care Reporting system will ensure Alabama continues to meet the standards for proper emergency care.”

The standards to which Gov. Ivey referred are put in place by the National Emergency Medical Services Information System, which operates under the umbrella of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA awards the grant money to compliant states to be disbursed by their governors. Alabama has abided by the national standards since 2007 and is currently compliant.

The $60,000 will be administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which is responsible for implementing a wide variety of policy programs from law enforcement to energy conservation.

“We all share the common goal of ensuring that those in need of emergency medical care receive the best possible assistance in a timely manner,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said in a press release. “With Gov. Ivey’s support in the form of this grant, this program will continue ensuring that all standards are being met and are being reported properly when EMS personnel provide care to those in need.”