By William J. Ford
Morning Call
Copyright 2007 The Morning Call, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
WILLIAMS TOWNSHIP, Penn — The Williams Township Emergency Squad will remain open for at least the summer.
The 46-year-old squad, scheduled to close today because of a lack of volunteers, plans to merge with the Easton Emergency Squad.
But township officials decided to slow the process since the merger was announced in April.
“When we first talked, we thought it was going to be the end of the year,” said Williams supervisor Chairwoman Sally Hixson on Friday. “We thought the process was going too fast.”
To ensure the merger works, Williams’ squad leader Kyle Sherman said Thursday night, the Eastern Pennsylvania Emergency Medical Services Council will hire a consultant to assess the proposal.
“We will still do the same routine and provide the same services during this period,” he said. “The EMS Council will try and make sure this is the right thing for the township.”
Everitt Binns, executive director of the EMS Council, could not be reached for comment Friday.
But who will pay for the consultant?
“We would be willing to pay a few dollars because the service is too important,” Hixson said.
She said notices about the squad remaining open weren’t mailed to residents because no changes were made in the squad’s operation.
The Williams squad is an independent organization with a building at 110 Raubsville Road, but the township pays insurance on it.
The squad has eight volunteers providing basic life support services for the township of 5,700.
Easton, which has about 30 members who are mainly full time with paramedics, provides advanced life support for residents in the neighboring rural township.