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ANNAPOLIS – House Speaker Michael E. Busch on Tuesday announced the creation of a 14-member legislative work group that will examine the state's emergency medical services system, which has been under scrutiny for months, particularly following the Sept. 28 crash of a state police helicopter that killed four people.

The crash in a wooded area of Walker Mill Regional Park in Prince George's County followed the April release of a legislative audit that questioned the state's plan to replace its aging fleet, which prompted discussion by some lawmakers of a total overhaul of the medevac system.

Two state senators already have introduced legislation that would create a new Cabinet-level Department of Emergency Medical Services, which met stiff resistance from public safety professionals at a committee briefing last week.

But multiple lawmakers have said they still consider the state medevac unit to be the best in the country, and a total overhaul would be excessive.

The House work group will work to formulate the chamber's position by drafting lawmakers from three separate committees that have oversight of the state's EMS system. Members include the House's only practicing physician, Del. Dan K. Morhaim (D-Dist. 11) of Owings Mills, professional firefighters Dels. James E. Malone Jr. (D-Dist. 12A) of Arbutus and Robert A. Costa (R-Dist. 33B) of Shady Side and House Audit Committee Chairman Steven J. DeBoy Sr. (D-Dist. 12A) of Arbutus.

"I view this as sort of helping to crystallize the House position, because we have three committees with different pieces of it rather than have bills spiraling off in a lot of different directions," said Del. John L. Bohanan Jr. (D-Dist. 29B) of California, who will chair the work group. "This will help channel that and allow us to come up with a cohesive overview of the whole program."

The committee will meet throughout February and issue recommendations to the standing committees in March on legislation that needs to be drafted or budget adjustments that should be made during the ongoing General Assembly session.

The work group will focus on myriad topics, including how the EMS system is structured, financed and maintained; the collaboration of local and state agencies; the delivery of services; protocols on how a medevac unit is dispatched, and the procurement of new helicopters.

"If we just concentrate on whether we're buying helicopters or not, it's not going to give them the complete picture of how the entire trauma system works in the state of Maryland," said Busch (D-Dist. 30) of Annapolis.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) included $40 million in his proposed fiscal 2010 capital budget to purchase two new state police helicopters, but lawmakers will determine whether the request stays put.

The proposal to create a new level of bureaucracy seems unlikely to gain legislative support during a year when lawmakers are loath to adopt proposals that bear a fiscal note.

Still, Senate Finance Chairman Thomas "Mac" Middleton (D-Dist. 28) of Waldorf, whose panel oversees the state police helicopter fleet, believes the debate can have a productive outcome in making the EMS system more efficient and effective.

"I'm not interested in taking something and tearing it down to destroy it," he said.