Brookhaven council hears plan to add ALS "chase car" service from Rocky Run EMS

Brookhaven Borough officials and emergency-service leaders discussed plans for Rocky Run EMS and Middletown Township to operate an ALS “chase car” that would respond alongside the borough’s basic life support ambulances. The discussion matters because the borough’s existing ambulance arrangements are changing after hospital and provider shifts countywide; an ALS chase-car would bring paramedic-level care to more calls without replacing the borough’s BLS ambulances. Fire Chief Rob Montella introduced the topic and said the borough has gap coverage while negotiators finalize terms and paperwork. “We had gap coverage till we get in service,” Montella said, and he asked Rocky Run’s representative to update council on timing and requirements. Chief William Rigby, public safety director for Middletown Township representing Rocky Run EMS, described a stepwise certification process. “We have the DEA, we just completed all our paperwork with them. That’s about … the onboard drugs, making sure they’re safe; they’re gonna be coming out and inspecting. Then we’ll go through the inspection process with the county,” Rigby said. He added that vehicle equipment is ready but that staffing remains “the biggest hurdle.” Rigby said the ALS chase car would be staffed and employed by Rocky Run; when it accompanies a Brookhaven ambulance the patient-billing process would send the ALS portion to Rocky Run while BLS billing would follow the borough’s established billing partners. “Those staff and personnel would actually work for Rocky Run. We would put them through a vetting process,” Rigby said. Council and staff pressed on timing and cost. Montella and Rigby said they expect to present written billing and cost details soon; Rigby said the borough likely will be asked to consider quarterly payments rather than the prior monthly arrangement and noted prior contract figures. Montella referenced a prior monthly figure: “It was a monthly contract with 31,000 and some dollars a month,” and discussed planning to include new numbers in the borough’s preliminary budget. No formal contract award or motion was recorded during the meeting. Council members and service chiefs agreed to continue negotiations and to supply numbers for the borough budget process; Montella said budget work would begin as early as next month. Brookhaven’s emergency leaders also discussed operational partnerships, mutual aid, subscription plans that relieve residents of balance billing, and the effect of nearby hospital closures on transport destinations. Rigby said smaller “micro” hospitals may provide more local options for non‑trauma patients but major trauma and specialty routing remain in flux countywide. The borough will next receive a written cost proposal and draft agreement for review before any council vote. The borough’s EMS statistics were also presented separately during the meeting: 221 ambulance calls in July 2025 with 147 transports and 1,950 year-to-date ambulance calls, per the fire chief’s report.