Struggling Rescue Squads To Receive $5.5M Lifeline From Bucks County

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Bucks County Commissioners on Wednesday gave the county's struggling rescue squads a financial shot in the arm, voting unanimously to allocate $5.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to 13 county squads.

The funding, which will be provided over a three year period, will be used to support emergency medical services, to provide education and to offer recruitment and retention incentives.

"We are doing what we can to help," said Bob Harvie, the chairman of the Bucks County Commissioners, in announcing the allocation.

The county first broached the idea of using ARPA money for its emergency services last year offering to match municipalities who also agreed to allocate ARPA money to rescue squads.

“While there were a few municipalities that were open to the idea, most were not," said Harvie. "So it fell to the county to help our rescue squads who have been struggling."

According to Audrey Kenny, the head of the county's emergency services, the county's rescue squads respond to about 60,000 calls a year and transport about 40,000 patients.

"Our EMS agencies continue to struggle to find funding and personnel. And recruitment has been a challenge," said Kenny. "We worked with our solicitor's office and our auditing firm to determine the best uses of these funds and resources for our squads," said Kenny.

"EMS transports account for 75 percent or more of their revenues annually and during COVID their call volume dropped so their revenues dropped as well. This will give them an opportunity to level set some of their books and get them to a better position financially."

Funding will also be allocated for education, recruitment and retention incentives, added Kenny.

"This provides a funding stream to allow for retention, retraining of the current workforce and it improves some of the exposure in the public safety sector,” she said.

Evan Resnikoff, the president of the Bucks County EMS Chiefs Association, expressed gratitude to the county for the financial support.

"This is going to do amazing things for emergency medical services. It's unprecedented support for EMS in Bucks County and we cannot be more thankful," he said.

"If the EMS system fails, you've got nothing," he added. "Like hospitals that serve big Medicare populations, EMS is the prime healthcare safety net in the county. And we respond to everything without prejudice and without a patient's ability to pay. If someone calls 9-1-1 and requests an ambulance for service, the ambulance is going to come, treat them accordingly and take them to the hospital. And in 10 minutes usually has to turn around and respond to another call.”

In Pennsylvania, municipalities are responsible for providing emergency medical services by contracting or partnering with a local provider.

According to Harvie, 21 percent of the municipalities in the county do not allocate money through taxes to the emergency services.

"For whatever reason they have chosen not to do that and that has provided some difficulties in terms of staffing. Certainly not something that is advisable," he said.

That is one of the reasons why the county has decided to step in with the ARPA funding, said Harvie.

“It kind of fell to the county to help our rescue squads who have been struggling,” he said.

"I can tell you personally from experience we just successfully won a referendum in Newtown Township to increase our tax revenue," said Resnikoff.

In November, voters in the township approved increasing the millage for EMS from .5 mills to one mill, which Resnikoff said will keep the squad operating and will save the township in the long run.

“Between the ARPA funding and the new tax revenue next year we're going to be a very strong organization and help to support area organizations around us."

The ARPA funding, he said, will provide squads with more time to approach local municipal governments and ask for similar referendums and millage increases in support of emergency medical services.

"What this board of commissioners is doing for emergency medical services should set the example for municipalities across the county who know and understand that it is their responsibility to provide emergency medical services,” said Resnikoff. “This will help us and give us time to work on our relationships with the municipalities to get to where we need to be."

The county has allocated the following to its rescue squads under the ARPA funding:

• Bensalem Rescue Squad, $437,671.39 (funding to support Emergency Medical Services); $54,708.92 (recruitment and retention incentives) and $54,708.92 (education support).
• Bucks County Rescue Squad, Bristol, $245,718 (funding to support EMS); $30,714.75, (recruitment and retention incentives); and $30,714.75 (education support).
• Central Bucks Emergency Medical Services, Doylestown, $903,295.20 (funding to support EMS); $112,911.90 (education support); and $112,911.90 (recruitment and retention incentives).
• Chal-Brit Regional Emergency Medical Services, Chalfont, $197,818.05 (funding to support EMS); $24,727.26 (retention and recruitment incentives); and $24,727.26 (education support).
• Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance & Rescue Squad, Lambertville, $90,081.54 (funding to support EMS); $11,260.19 (recruitment and retention incentives); and $11,260.19 (education support).
• Levittown-Fairless Hills Rescue Squad, Levittown, $361,240.09 (funding to support EMS); $45,155.01 (education support); and $45,155.01 (recruitment and retention incentives).
• Newtown EMS Inc., Newtown, $245,574.97 (funding to support EMS); $30,696.87 (recruitment and retention incentives); and $30,696.87 (education support).
• Penndel-Middletown Emergency Squad, Langhorne, $399,894 (funding to support EMS); $49,986.75 (recruitment and retention incentives); and $49,986.75 (education support).
• Point Pleasant-Plumsteadville EMS, Plumsteadville,$178,883.31 (funding to support EMS); $22,360.41 (recruitment and retention incentives); and $22,360.41 (education support).
• Tri-Hampton Rescue Squad, Richboro, $541,750.98 (funding to support EMS); $67,718.87, (recruitment and retention incentives); and $67,718.87 (education support).
• Upper Bucks Regional EMS, Inc., Revere, $353,844.31 (funding to support EMS); $44,230.54, (recruitment and retention incentives); and $44,230.54 (education support).
• Warrington Community Ambulance Corp., Warrington, $245,022.41 (funding to support EMS); $30,627.80 (recruitment and retention incentives); and $30,627.80 (education support).
• Yardley-Makefield Emergency Unit, Yardley, $180,637.36 (funding to support EMS); $22,579.67 (education support); and $22,579.67 (recruitment and retention incentives).