Ross/West View EMS to keep ambulance at Sheetz to improve response times
OHIO TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — In times of an emergency, every second counts.
That is why one of the area's busiest ambulance services made a tactical change.
It is tree-lined and designed for retirees, but one 55 and up community is the further point in Ohio Township.
"They say it's 20 minutes for an ambulance to get here, and people have had a problem with that for a long time," Ohio Township resident Craig Schurr said.
His neighbors are mostly retirees and call 911 more than others. That is why Ross/West View EMS decided to get closer.
"We're going from 14 minutes down to around eight. If you're the one on the other side of the 911 call, that six minutes makes a huge difference," said Steve Kline, assistant director of Ross/West View EMS.
Kline said Ross/West View EMS will now station an ambulance at the Sheetz off Camp Horne Road to be closer to Ohio Township.
"That crew is going to sit there for two or three hours depending on call volume and how the days going," he said. "And then they'll get rotated out with one of the other crews."
Because of continued development in the area, what started as 100 calls a year from the area increased to 700. It's news these neighbors are glad to hear.
"It's a great help for everybody here and we know where the Sheetz is," Schurr said. "It's just a quick shot."
Eventually, Kline says the EMS unit is hoping to work with the municipality to build a second location.