Ambulance standby free for Pa. school district members

The return to free service follows a decision by the school board last year to pay fire companies $50 per hour, with a minimum of three hours, for standby ambulance service

September 21, 2010 05:05 AM

By Melody Asper
The Evening Sun

ADAMS COUNTY, Pa. — Bermudian Springs officials have accepted free standby ambulance service for varsity home football games this year.

The return to free service follows a decision by the school board last year to pay fire companies $50 per hour, with a minimum of three hours, for standby ambulance service. Not all of the fire companies accepted the money last year, and this year, Liberty Fire Co. of East Berlin and Lake Meade Fire and Rescue each offered to provide the service to Bermudian for free.

The state requires that an ambulance be on standby for all varsity football games, said district officials, but it does not determine who should provide the service or at what remuneration.

Last year, the district received a letter from York Springs Fire Co., notifying the district all three local fire companies that provided standby ambulance services at football games would begin charging.

But Lake Meade Fire and Rescue ambulance captain Roger Laforce said his company decided not to charge for the two games its ambulance was on standby. And in August, he approached the district on the company’s behalf and offered to continue to provide the service for free. Liberty Fire Co. also offered free service.

District Superintendent Paul Healey said that while the district has signed the contracts for the free service from the two ambulance services, York Springs also submitted a contract that would still charge the district the $50 per hour rate, with a minimum of $150 cost per use.

Healey said that if for some reason the first two services would not be available, the district could still hire York Springs as a standby.

But if the district doesn’t have to pay for service, it will save about $900 this year.

“We have had great service from all three companies,” said Healey. “And each year we will have the opportunity to revisit this. The service offered by each of the companies could change depending upon the volunteers that they have available at that time.”

Fire-EMS