Collaboration May be Key to Survival for Pa. EMS Agencies

Aug. 08--Some in Somerset County are working toward a more collaborative solution to the ongoing challenges for emergency medical service departments.

Though discussions are in preliminary stages, some local EMS department managers and other locals have been meeting with a state representative who could help facilitate more cooperative arrangements among county departments, though it is unclear what shape that could take, according to Rob Brady at the Governor's Center for Local Government Services.

Brady is working with a handful of counties statewide that have asked for help to tackle the issues facing EMS and fire agencies.

Consolidation is only one answer, and something Brady called a tool.

"We look at where you want to go, and then figure out a way to get there," he said.

Somerset Ambulance Association has participated in the meetings, and association Manager Dan Buck said he's encouraged by the prospects and the support he has seen.

"We're looking at ways we can work together, maybe to do group purchases of worker's comp insurance or working together on billing," he said. "There's a great community with emergency services. We work hard to be one and also to be separate. We all want to keep our identity, but we also understand times are changing."

Alan Baumgardner, working outside his day job at Somerset County 911, reached out to the center, housed at the state's Department of Community and Economic Development.

"The goal is to get the municipalities who want to participate -- it's not mandatory -- together and form an agreement that covers all the municipalities that want in," he said. "With that, that will cover the services that handle those municipalities. We can work out backups, so when service isn't available, we know who is next in line. If we go together, we would be eligible for grant money and low-interest loans, which we could use to replace equipment. There are services out there that are running equipment that's shot and ambulances with a couple hundred thousands miles. We could set up a schedule to replace ambulances."

The group could work from a shared general fund for basic equipment and payroll, and hopefully create a stronger financial model that could include increasing pay for paramedics.

"If we do this as a group, there are a lot of things we can do," Baumgardner said. "Think of group insurance benefits."

Decisions could be made by a board with representatives from a range of interested parties, he said.

"Our goal would be to make sure they have the basics to do their job," he said. "The goal is not to eliminate any fire or ambulance service in the county. Goal is to take services that are here and make them stronger."

The goal, Baumgardner said, would be to launch a new, more collaborative approach within the next nine months to a year.

Kecia Bal is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow her on Twitter at @KeciaBKay

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