Five Delaware County communities voted Wednesday to establish a new authority to provide emergency medical services funded by annual fees paid by residents, businesses, and other entities in their municipalities.
The Municipal Emergency Medical Services Authority of Delaware County will provide advanced life support, or ALS, to Nether Providence, Rose Valley, Rutledge, Swarthmore, and Upper Providence.
Media was originally part of the working group developing the authority proposal, but announced last week it would not be joining for financial reasons.
Each community approved an ordinance to join the authority Wednesday night at Strath Haven Middle School and appointed a representative to the authority board.
Nether Providence, Rose Valley, Rutledge, and Swarthmore voted unanimously to approve the ordinance. Upper Providence voted 3-1 in favor.
The appointed board members include Nether Providence Township commissioner Max Cooper, former Rose Valley council member David Firn, Rutledge fire marshal Thomas Moleski, former Swarthmore council member Kristen Seymore, and former Upper Providence council member Christen Rexing.
Creating an EMS authority is essential to provide reliable ALS service by stabilizing funding and staff, Swarthmore Mayor Conlen Booth said. Booth was a member of the authority working group.
“The authority model, sharing fees across all potential users of the system, is in my opinion the most equitable way to ensure that a reliable EMS service is available to everyone who may need it,” he said.
Talks kicked off last year shortly after Prospect Medical Holdings closed Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital, leaving a gap in ALS support throughout the region.
The authority’s name was originally going to be the Delaware County Emergency Services Authority, but was changed to avoid being confused with other county organizations and make clear that it was only providing medical service and not a police or fire response, Cooper said.
The next steps for the authority
While the vote established the authority, it won’t immediately go into service. The new board members will be charged with building the authority based on the foundations laid by the working group.
The recommended fee for residents will be $95 a year, although that is strictly a starting point for discussions, working group members said, and will be subject to future public hearings.
“Ninety-five dollars is similar to the yearly voluntary subscription models that many of our local firehouses use, and is similar to other recently formed EMS authorities in the state,” Cooper said. “This works out to less than $8 a month and our working group views it as a reasonable cost to ensure stable funding for such a critically important service.”
Businesses, nonprofit entities, and the municipalities themselves will have to contribute yearly fees as well. Using an authority and fee-based model was important for making sure nonprofits contribute to the costs of an EMS service, Cooper said. Nonprofits would not have to contribute if the system were tax based.
“We anticipate this will decrease the amount of taxes which will need to be dedicated to this system, and relieve some municipal pressure to raise taxes on residents every year,” Cooper said.
The board will have to decide the level of staffing and equipment needed. A potential partnership with Main Line Health is being discussed to provide some level of service.
“The authority could contract just their staff, but the authority could choose to own the ambulances and equipment,” Booth said. “It could also be that the authority contracts them to provide all the services in their entirety and then the board manages the contract. There’s a lot of potential.”
The working group hosted a presentation about the EMS authority and took public comments before each town approved the ordinance. Several attendees who identified themselves as Upper Providence residents spoke against the authority, questioning the logistics and cost.
“This is a tax increase, like it or not,” Upper Providence resident Justin Perry said to scattered applause.
Another Upper Providence resident, former longtime Marple Township Ambulance Corps member Vince Delvacchio, spoke in support.
“I don’t know where you think you’re going to get an ambulance if we don’t do this,” Delvacchio said, to more applause.
Why Media opted out of the authority proposal
Media had been part of the working group for the proposed authority, but borough council decided not to proceed for financial reasons, Borough Manager Brittany Forman said.
The borough has an existing contract with Main Line Health to provide ALS service and had been in discussions with them about projected 2027 costs. The council tasked Forman with comparing how those costs would affect taxpayers vs. the authority’s proposed fees for residents and businesses.
Ultimately the borough determined it would be less expensive to stay with Main Line Health, Forman said.
“Our council is interested to see this get implemented and really does want to keep the dialogue open,” Forman said. “Even though we’re not joining this year, I think this is still just a great step for the region.”
