First Aid Newsletter

On June 23, 2026, Johanniter and Malteser called on the Bavarian state government in Munich to strengthen crisis resilience and civil protection. The demand reflects growing security concerns and positions the aid organizations as central actors in the state's disaster protection strategy. This signals a political shift toward decentralized emergency preparedness.

The Bundesrat has decided to redefine emergency medical services by law: not as pure transport services, but as comprehensive care provision including emergency management and emergency medical care. This structural reform expands the role of emergency medical services and requires a redesign of financing and coordination with hospitals and practices.

The planned GKV contribution rate stabilization act threatens to create a funding gap of up to 1 billion euros in emergency medical services and structurally block emergency reform. Professional associations warn that necessary infrastructure and personnel development cannot be realized if this regulation remains unchanged.

Paramedics nationwide criticize that they are not allowed to or can only administer few medications without an emergency physician, even though medical necessity exists. This regulatory barrier delays necessary treatment and underutilizes the potential of qualified rescue personnel in the pre-clinical setting.

FDNY launches a national campaign 'Bring the Beat Back' in 2026 for CPR/AED awareness with a focus on lay resuscitation. Real case examples show that quick lay CPR and available AEDs save lives – a strategic priority for emergency prevention and survival chances before emergency medical services arrival.