A fledgling partnership between the West Deer and Foxwall ambulance services has resulted in faster, more efficient service for residents.
Just four months in, the chiefs of both stations have agreed to participate in a state study to gauge the viability of a merger or shared management.
“Instead of each service having two crews available, together we have four crews that can be moved proactively to ensure every community is covered,” said Ben Shopland, Foxwall chief.
Foxwall Emergency Medical Service serves Aspinwall and Fox Chapel. West Deer Emergency Medical Services serves West Deer and took over the entirety of Indiana Township calls in 2024 when Seneca Area EMS closed.
A substation was established at Indiana Township’s municipal building along Saxonburg Boulevard, in addition to its main garage along East Union Road.
The partnership has shown that Foxwall and West Deer can handle more calls without adding staff, simply by making sure the ambulances are better positioned.
“It’s important for community members to know that, when they see a Foxwall ambulance in Indiana or West Deer, it’s on purpose,” Shopland said. “It might not be that a West Deer ambulance wasn’t available: They just weren’t closest at the time.”
Collaboration, whether by merger or otherwise, is becoming necessary for the survival of ambulance services. It’s not just a local problem. It’s one experienced by agencies across the state because of increased costs, staffing shortages and insufficient funding.
Just two weeks ago, a paid EMS authority was formed by the merger of two longtime services in Harrison, Brackenridge and Tarentum. The Alle-Kiski Emergency Services Authority combined Eureka Community Ambulance and Citizens Hose EMS, both of which have served residents for more than 90 years.
By consolidating, agencies can achieve economies of scale, reduce administrative duplication and improve response times, according to online medical platform EMS1.com.
A possible merger between Foxwall and West Deer will be studied through the state Department of Community and Economic Development. The report will consider data from both services and all four communities.
It is expected to take several months to complete and doesn’t commit the groups to a decision.
“Our No. 1 priority for everything we are doing is faster care for those in need,” said Bill Humes, West Deer EMS chief.
Added Shopland: “Each borough or township having its own ambulance service results in a duplication of administrative functions and reserve equipment with very little capacity to handle surges in call volume.”
Since the partnership began in January, Foxwall has assisted with up to 20 calls a month in West Deer’s service area, mostly in Indiana Township. That’s compared to 40 total calls in 2025.
Strategies to increase efficiency have included positioning ambulances to cover periods of call volume surges.
Foxwall’s crew, from the station along Hemlock Hollow Road, can get to specific parts of southern Indiana Township faster than West Deer crews if they are in a far-flung part of the township.
Shopland said his second transport ambulance is moved to Indiana Township several days a week to help with higher morning call volume when nonemergency transport demand is lower. The unit also is moved to West Deer’s area, if possible, when West Deer EMS units are occupied.
“While we are best positioned to help with calls in Indiana Township, doing so means that West Deer EMS units are available for calls in West Deer Township more often, and residents of both West Deer and Indiana Township see improved response times,” Shopland said. “All of this is to make sure that an ambulance is in the right place at the right time to facilitate a timely response, regardless of the name on the side of the truck or the municipality where the call is.”
Neither Humes nor Shopland knows what the state study will recommend, but they are eager to explore ways to collaborate.
Humes said recognizing the need to evolve puts them ahead of the curve.
The chiefs have talked about collaborating on administrative duties. They’ve also talked about sharing staff.
Expert input from the DCED will be essential before they decide how to proceed, Shopland said.
The pair wants to ensure that residents and community leaders have a chance to provide input, too.
A formal merger isn’t necessary for Shopland and Humes to realize municipal boundaries shouldn’t dictate the fastest care.
“I give the leadership of West Deer EMS a lot of credit for setting aside a sense of territory to ensure the best available service,” Shopland said.
Foxwall, established in 1979, and West Deer EMS, founded in 1977, are nonprofits.
They rely on municipal, state and federal funding, along with donations from residents and insurance reimbursements, which hover between 40% and 60% of actual service costs.
Foxwall responded to more than 2,100 calls last year; West Deer’s call volume was nearly 3,300.
Shopland said the rising costs have continued to outpace billing revenue. Recruitment also has been a challenge.
“Every forward-thinking EMS service is looking at ways to operate more efficiently without reducing the quality of care or the quantity of EMS resources available in the community,” he said.