CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry EMS ambulance service, which only a few years ago was on the brink of collapse, now is forging its way to a promising future with new leadership, a new ambulance and a new headquarters on the horizon.

Under the direction of executive director Jeff Kelly and deputy director Ted Fessides, a new board of directors and a business model, the service has been able to stabilize its finances, add four ambulances and look forward to a better facility.

This summer, the township supervisors authorized a contract for $98,365 for the site work and building design for a new EMS facility to be adjacent to the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company's Park Station.

The project should be bid in October with construction next spring or in early summer.

Kelly said the facility will be about 72,000 square feet and house all the equipment and office needs.

Cranberry EMS also just recently added a fourth ambulance to its fleet because of its growing call demand. The service answered 3,057 cases in 2011 and that number is expected to rise to 3,400 this year.

The changes have benefitted the service's relationships with both the township's police and fire company.

“Our relationship has never been better,” said Lt. Kevin Meyer of the township police, adding that he meets regularly with Kelly to discuss issues.

“Communication has never been better. Jeff (Kelly) keeps up with everything that is state-of-the-art. He's really on top of things,” said Meyer.

Brian Kovac, chief of the Cranberry Volunteer Fire Company, said, “Since Jeff and Ted have taken over, they've built a great relationship with us.”

He noted the service's relationship with the department had its ups and downs in the past, but not now.

“They've done an excellent job. They've reached out to assist us and we've assisted them,” said Kovac. “There's better communication not with just us, but with all of public safety.”

But the ambulance service didn't always get positive comments.

Starting five years ago, a series of bad events put the service on the edge of financial ruin.

Early on Sept. 27, 2007, one of its ambulance drivers taking a patient to UPMC Passavant Hospital, ran a red light at Route 19 and Brush Creek Road and crashed into a vehicle, killing two men.

The driver pleaded guilty of two counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of driving under the influence.

Township public safety director Jeff Schueler explained the problems became so bad that “I had proposals in my hands from other services to provide services.”

Although Cranberry EMS is separate from the township, every municipality in Pennsylvania is required to provide its residents with ambulance service.

That was before the township stepped in and helped prop up the service until it could get back on its feet.

A financial analysis done in 2006-07 determined that the service was $32,000 in debt, which grew to more than $100,000 as it was forced to take out a $90,000 loan to cover expenses and payroll, said Kelly.

The ambulance service took another hit in March 2011 when former executive director Steve Tedesco was charged with raping an unconscious 19-year-old Evans City man. His case is still pending in Butler County Court.

In early 2008, Cranberry officials began working with the ambulance service.

A consultant was hired by the township to provide direction for the service and input from current volunteers and employees was taken.

The consultant's study concluded the service needed to make some changes and hire a director to oversee the operations.

The service also moved toward being run as a professional business, that included changes in the bylaws that dated back to the beginning of the service and making changes with the board of directors.

“It was getting too big to be run by volunteers; it needed a person to run day to day operations,” said Kelly.

In 2010, the Cranberry Volunteer Ambulance Corps officially changed its name to Cranberry EMS and new uniforms were introduced.

Its first director, Tedesco, was hired in the fall of 2009 and served until early 2011, when he was arrested.

During this time, the service financial stability was in jeopardy. The township stepped in help “make the service financially viable,” helping to pay for fuel, explained Schueler.

The ambulance company directors hired Kelly on June 27, 2011. Several months later, the service hired Fessides to assist on the day to day operations.

There was a major change in the board of directors and the organization's bylaws were changed to better reflect a professional organized group.

The service has since turned around, operating in the black, expanding its outreach into the community by attending events such as Community Days, hosting rescue classes and promoting a new membership drive.

“Currently, our budget is appropriated to reflect a stronger EMS operations aspect,” said Kelly, who explained the staff and its ancillary benefits represent more than 80 percent of the service's budget.

“We have also incorporated a few newer line items designed to help springboard Cranberry Township EMS within the industry. So for this year, we expanded our public relations budget to include more community outreach opportunities and reflect our commitment to Cranberry Township,” he said.

Kelly added that there is money to help all members of the organization with their professional growth.

“In particular, we used this money for myself to attend the Pinnacle EMS conference held this year in Colorado Springs,” said Kelly. “This conference is the premier leadership conference for EMS service directors.”

“We have also made great strides to curtail our expenses,” said Kelly.

“We have partnered with UPMC on some cost savings for our cellular phone program and oxygen purchasing. Also, we have recently become members of a group purchasing organization called EMS Redline.

“Our affiliation with this organization just saved us more than $400 on the purchase of three new thermometers for our ambulances.”

Cranberry EMS also has used this type of organization to help control other costs, including office supplies, uniforms, and vehicle maintenance, he added.

<B>FOUNDED:</B> 1969 as the Cranberry Volunteer Ambulance Corps; it changed its name to Cranberry EMS in 2010<B>DIRECTOR:</B> Jeff Kelly<B>DEPUTY DIRECTOR</B>: Ted Fessides<B>BUDGET:</B> $1.2 million<B>EMPLOYEES</B>: 14 full-time, 20 part-time<B>VOLUNTEERS</B>: 5 active<B>ANNUAL CALLS ANSWERED</B>: 3,057 in 2011 with a projected 3,400 calls this year<B>EQUIPMENT</B>: Three advanced life support ambulances, a basic life support ambulance and a squad car<B>PAID MEMBERS</B>: About 25 percent of township residentsAnnual membership rate: Family, $60; individual, $45; senior citizen, $40