Property owners in Harrison, Brackenridge and Tarentum will learn in the coming weeks how much they’ll pay for ambulance service next year.
The Alle-Kiski Emergency Services Authority, voted into existence March 25 by the three municipal governments, was officially approved this week by the Pennsylvania Department of State.
The newly elected board is working to schedule a public meeting within 45 days to establish policies and potential fees to homeowners.
“This did not happen overnight,” Tarentum Council President Scott Dadowski said. “It took honest conversations and a willingness to work across communities to find a real solution. The result is something that will benefit our residents today and well into the future.”
Collaboration aside, Harrison Township Manager Amy Rockwell said bringing multiple municipalities and EMS providers together wasn’t easy.
“But there was a shared understanding that action was needed,” she said.
The creation of the authority merged Eureka Community Ambulance in Tarentum and Citizens Hose EMS in Harrison.
It’s expected to salvage the future of both services, which, like most ambulance companies across the country, are strapped with insufficient funding, low volunteerism and rising equipment costs. A new ambulance can cost up to $400,000, officials said.
Tarentum Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf said the authority offers a path forward to stabilize and strengthen the towns’ emergency medical services, ensuring it will be here for future generations.
The authority is expected to begin operations in January.
It will be funded through an annual fee to property owners and insurance reimbursements. It costs about $2.4 million a year for manpower, equipment and general readiness, leaders said.
Preliminary fees for property owners in 2027 were projected at $85 a year.
Under the proposal, renters will not be billed. Property owners can choose whether to pass the cost on to renters. Churches will be exempt.
Insurances will still be billed, but the new authority will forgive 50% of the co-payments for each call.
Brackenridge Council President Tim Connelly said the three communities came together because they all recognized the challenges coming.
“This authority gives us the ability to take action now and ensure that EMS remains strong and dependable for years to come,” Connelly said.
From 2013 to 2017, Pennsylvania lost nearly 400 ambulance services — from about 1,645 to 1,278 — according to online platform EMS1.
There are about 1,200 operating in the state today.
“This is about making sure our residents know that when they call for help, someone will be there,” said Gary Meanor, Harrison commissioners chairman.
“By working together as a region, we are putting a reliable system in place that strengthens EMS for the long term.”