Bellefonte Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization located in central Pennsylvania and offers a variety of services to our community. We currently are licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PaDOH) as a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance service operating three ambulances. We staff at least one ambulance 24/7 with a scheduled on-duty crew of 2 experienced Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Additionally, we operate three para-transit vans providing transportation for persons needing wheelchair or litter transportation to and from medically related appointments or when discharged from the hospital.

Today’s staff includes over 25 volunteer and 20 career personnel providing emergency service to the Boroughs of Bellefonte, Milesburg, and Unionville along with all or portions of Spring, Benner, Boggs, Marion, Howard, Union, and Huston Townships. We also respond to incidents in surrounding communities when requested to assist neighboring EMS organizations. Our primary response area totals approximately 210 sq. miles, much of which is agricultural or forest land, with a year-round population of 20,000.

Our annual operating budget, approximately $900,000 in 2012, is funded predominately through fee-for-service by third-party insurance and patient reimbursement, in addition to our annual subscription membership, and donations from community members. We do not receive tax-based or municipal financial funding from the communities that we serve. Our annual membership subscription provides about 5% of our annual revenue.

Bellefonte EMS is a member of the Ambulance Association of Pennsylvania and the Centre County Ambulance Association.

History

Bellefonte EMS history dates back to 1949 when the Logan Fire Company purchased their first ambulance to provide service to the residents of Bellefonte. At that time, very little training or specialized equipment was available to the volunteer members staffing an ambulance. Over the years, ‘first aid’ training became available along with a variety of additional equipment to aid in the treatment of patients before arriving at the emergency department. One of the first Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) courses was offered in Pennsylvania around 1970. The 1980’s saw the disappearance of the Cadillac ambulances and the introduction of the first EMS Act in Pennsylvania mandating minimum equipment, staffing, training, and vehicle design standards.

In 1994, Bellefonte EMS became an independent emergency service agency with the separation from the Logan Fire Company. This separation allowed the volunteer members, and newly hired career personnel, to focus on providing prompt, high quality emergency medical services to the community. Paid career staff became necessary as the volume of emergency incidents rose to a level beyond what a totally volunteer staff was able to reliably handle alone.

In the next several years, our organization grew to absorb the communities previously served when the Citizens Hook & Ladder Fire Company in Milesburg ceased providing ambulance services in 1997.
Bellefonte EMS purchased our first and current station on Phoenix Avenue in 1998.