Rescue 14 EMS in Adamsburg to close, merge with Greensburg-based Mutual Aid
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Rescue 14 EMS in Adamsburg will close this year as part of the station’s merger with Greensburg-based Mutual Aid Ambulance Service.
According to a joint release from both entities, Rescue 14, which covers the western side of Hempfield as well as Adamsburg and Arona boroughs, will cease operations no later than April 1. At that point, Mutual Aid will position a 24-hour ambulance at the Rescue 14 station, located at 470 Edna Road.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things that happened that got us to this situation,” said Don Thoma, operations manager with Rescue 14, including employee retention, a low number of ambulance subscriptions and decreased reimbursement from commercial insurers.
Thoma said the service responded to about 1,200 calls per year.
Rescue 14, founded in 1968, was one of three services that covered Hempfield in recent years, along with Mutual Aid and Jeannette EMS. Township supervisors last month voted to stop using Jeannette EMS, whose coverage area was taken over by Mutual Aid. Rescue 14’s closure will make Mutual Aid the primary ambulance service in the township.
“Both organizations are pleased that we were able to reach an agreement that places the needs of our patients first,” said Lorenzo Garino, director of emergency services with Mutual Aid. “Rescue 14 EMS has done an incredible job over the years and we are excited to continue that tradition of providing the highest caliber service to the community. As public safety evolves, regionalizing our services is becoming a necessity to best protect our communities.”
Over the years, Mutual Aid has assisted Rescue 14 when they were short staffed, sending an ambulance to ensure service areas were covered, Thoma said.
“At the end of the day we knew we needed to have an exit plan a couple years ago,” Thoma said. “We knew the township would rather have one ambulance service at the end.”
All active ambulance subscriptions from Rescue 14 for 2020-2021 will be honored by Mutual Aid. The service will distribute memberships for their program later this month.
The Adamsburg Volunteer Fire Department, where Thoma is fire chief, posted on its Facebook page regarding the merger.
“We would like to thank Rescue 14 EMS for their over 50 years of service to West Hempfield, Arona and Adamsburg,” the post reads. “We appreciate the close working relationship and great people that we have worked next to so much on some of the worst incidents in this area. The residents affected by this will soon get a letter in the mail with more information.”