Lower Milford Reassures Residents of EMS Service Coverage

TheBoard of Supervisors on Thursday held a presentation on EMS coverage , sent in during the election.

“It said our service was inadequate… something to that effect,” said Township Manager Ellen Koplin.

“It caused a whole bunch of people to get scared,” said Supervisor Donna Wright.

EMS services from Upper Saucon, Coopersburg and other municipalities have provided coverage for ending the all-volunteer service in April 2011.

John Kloss, deputy director of the Eastern PA EMS Council, presented slides on EMS coverage of the area. Kloss noted response times for ambulances range from 12-13 minutes in rural areas like Lower Milford.

A graph presented by Kloss showed that response times for 2010 averaged around 12 minutes and average times for 2011 were around 13 minutes.

“You don’t have the population or call volume,” Kloss said of supporting a full- time ambulance corps.

Tapler, who ran for supervisor, opposed cutting Lower Milford's emergency services operation. “We’re going backwards,” Tapler said of the decision when contacted by phone.

“If they’re further away it takes longer; it's common sense,” he said.

Tapler was invited to the meeting, Wright said, but did not attend. Tapler claimed he did not receive an invitation.

The supervisors will meet for its reorganization meeting Jan. 3 at 7:30pm.