Lower Milford Board of Supervisors Signs Multi-Service Emergency Transport Agreement

(Editors Note: A quote attributed to Gail Hunsburger was misattributed and removed. We deeply apologize for the mistake.)

If you receive a packet from Lower Milford Township next week, don’t throw it away. Inside, you’ll find information about your new Emergency Transport Service provider -- an agreement approved and signed at last night's Lower Milford Board of Supervisors workshop.

The move, which will take effect as soon as all transport services sign the document, comes ahead of new federal regulations that will change the way many smaller townships will run their emergency transport services.

 “I have to say, this township is ahead of the curve,” said Everitt Binns, executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania EMS Council. “This is the direction several townships throughout the state will take in the future.”

The run by Lower Milford volunteers has not been without its detractors, many of whom blamed the township for dismantling EMS services. That’s just not the case, says Fire Chief Rich DiFiore.

“People have it wrong. [The fire company] initiated this [move to outside transport services],” said DiFiore. “We just couldn’t provide the level of care Lower Milford needs.

“With all the new regulations and certifications, we just couldn’t get enough volunteers,” said DiFiore.

According to township solicitor Mark Cappuccio, the plan breaks Lower Milford into seven zones, each serviced by a different transport service. The participating services come from Upper Saucon, Emmaus, Coopersburg, Upper Perkiomen and Macungie. The computer at the Lehigh County communication center determines your location and sends transport automatically. If the first responder isn’t available, the computer automatically goes down a list in a predetermined order ). If the first responder for a resident’s area (referred to as a “fire box”) is a basic life support (minor cuts, etc…) and advanced life support is needed (a heart attack or more serious condition), county communication contacts the first ALS responder for the resident’s area.

According to DiFiore, response times should either stay the same or improve, a theory that has been tested over the past few months. “We’ve already been [working with outside EMS services],” said DiFiore. “We’re [Lower Milford] reaching the scene at the same time as the outside EMS services.”

No matter who shows up at a resident’s home, the same subscription rate will be honored by all participating transport services. “Residents were worried that they’d be paying more for one service, and the guy down the road would pay less,” said board of supervisors chairwoman Donna Wright. “They don’t have to worry anymore.”

The responder areas are still being finalized. Residents will find the information in the packets that will arrive soon in their mailboxes.

The next Board of Supervisors meeting will be at 7:30 pm on April 21.