For the first time in years, Eureka Community Ambulance in Tarentum won’t be the primary responder when Fawn residents call 911.

Beginning Aug. 1, the township’s ambulance service will be provided by Freeport EMS. Fawn does not have it’s own ambulance service, instead contracting out the service to other providers.

Supervisors were spurred to make the move after the formation of the Alle-Kiski Emergency Services Authority in Harrison, Brackenridge and Tarentum. Eureka is set to merge with Citizens EMS in Harrison to serve the residents of the three communities.

The authority will be paid in part through a household fee, tentatively set at $85.

Fawn was invited to join the authority but, township Secretary/Treasurer Pam Ponsart said, the board was uneasy about committing to a service before the final cost for each property was determined.

Instead, Fawn will give an undetermined lump sum to Freeport EMS for coverage of its 2,100 residents.

Freeport EMS is not a paid authority. It operates on insurance reimbursements, subscription drives, direct billing and donations.

“We’ve always paid into the ambulance service, so we’ll do the same with Freeport,” Ponsart said.

She said last year’s donation to Eureka was $5,000.

Freeport EMS provides service for the borough, South Buffalo and the southern half of Buffalo Township. It responded to more than 2,800 calls last year.

Ambulances will not be stationed in Fawn. They will respond from the garage along Market Street in Freeport. That’s about 5 miles from the Fawn municipal building along Howes Run Road.

Chief Jamison Hughes said he’s excited to welcome Fawn and develop a partnership.

He believes his staff will be able to accommodate a fourth community. The service has an advanced life support-staffed ambulance around the clock, along with other emergency vehicles.

Hughes said it’s important to look at more than where a building sits on a map. Staffing, ambulance availability, mutual aid partnerships and system reliability are part of the equation, he said.

Municipalities are not required to donate to the service.

Through Aug. 1, Hughes said his department will prepare for the transition by meeting with community leaders and educating residents about services to ensure uninterrupted coverage.

“Everyone is quite pleased,” Ponsart said.