In Pennsylvania, municipalities are required by law to ensure emergency medical services (EMS) are available for residents when needed. Unfortunately, over time, that mandate has become increasingly challenging for countless townships, boroughs and cities.
Volunteer EMS providers have been dwindling over the years, contributing to higher costs for EMS services. With higher costs comes the problem of funding.
The problem of how to solve the EMS funding crisis is plaguing many Pennsylvania municipalities, including Warren City in Warren County. Recently the Warren City Council voted to file a lawsuit against nearby Conewango Township for failure to pay past due emergency management service fees. The city notified the township that it would “no longer respond to non-mutual aid EMS incidents within the Township without charging a fee for those services.” The city further expressed its disappointment in the situation, stating: “It is not fair to our taxpayers, who already bear a higher tax burden, to continue subsidizing services for Conewango Township without compensation.”
Warren City has agreements with nine other municipalities within the area to provide EMS services, leaving Conewango as the only municipality not in good standing with the city. Although the city threatened to terminate answering EMS calls in Conewango if the fees went unpaid, the EMS Department indicated that it would continue to respond to Conewango if dispatched.
The city continues to work towards an amicable solution with its neighbor, recognizing the importance of EMS services to the region.
“Over the years, the ability to provide reliable Emergency Medical Services to the residents of Warren County has become more and more difficult. Pennsylvania law requires that municipalities ensure the availability of EMS to their residents. This requirement includes providing appropriate financial support. Unfortunately, this requirement is not always being fulfilled. The number of volunteers who once provided these services has declined and/or aged out. Consequently, many municipalities surrounding the City have not been able to respond when needed. This situation has resulted in the City of Warren Fire Department, the County’s only paid professional Fire/EMS provider, responding to an increase in calls outside City limits.”
This problem is not uncommon, and the lack of volunteers and the high cost of paid employees has left more than one municipality scratching its head and searching for a cost-effective solution.
The team at Keystone Municipal Solutions has experience with intermunicipal agreements and shared services. So don’t wait for your simmering issues to rise to the level of a crisis. Fire this thing up, contact KMS and learn what we can do to help.
About the Author
David L. Anthony is a member of the Keystone Municipal Solutions team of experts. He is a veteran of municipal government, having served more than 33 years in various positions of public service. Contact him at david@keystonemunicipalsolutions.com. To learn more about David and the Keystone Municipal Solutions team, click here.
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