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Residents and officials raise concerns about ambulance waits; commissioners say municipalities control EMS response agreements
Summary
Public commenters reported long ambulance response times, including a case of a 25‑minute wait. County officials said municipalities determine primary EMS providers through local agreements and urged local leaders to engage on response coverage.
Residents and officials raised concerns about ambulance response times during public comment at the Beaver County commissioners’ work session on Wednesday, with one speaker saying a woman waited 25 minutes for an ambulance and later died.
Becky Gallagher told commissioners she had heard multiple reports of delayed ambulance response, including a child and other adults who did not receive help quickly enough. “There was a woman who waited 25 minutes for an ambulance…she passed away before she could get medical attention,” Gallagher said.
County officials acknowledged the problem but said the county does not directly assign primary EMS responders to municipalities. A county official (identified in the meeting as Eric) explained that municipalities set response agreements and resolutions that name primary EMS providers for each area; if a municipality lacks agreements with nearby services, calls may wait for the named provider to be available.
Eric said some municipalities maintain agreements with specific EMS providers, and those predetermined boundaries determine which agency responds. He described examples in the county where different townships rely on different services depending on geographic location and prior municipal agreements.
Why it matters: Delayed emergency medical response can have severe public‑safety consequences. The county advised that municipalities should examine their agreements and that the county will facilitate conversations but cannot unilaterally reassign primary EMS responsibilities.
County staff said they will continue to help municipalities explore options such as enhanced fire‑based rapid response, mutual‑aid agreements or coverage changes, but emphasized the need for municipal leadership and formal resolutions to change who the primary responders are.
Ending: Commissioners and staff agreed to continue outreach with municipalities and EMS providers; staff offered to provide average response time data on request.
