The county commissioners made the right decision last week by approving a pilot program that will help emergency medical services around the state get what they need to operate efficiently.

The program will study EMS service for the purpose of coming up with recommendations to address concerns and to determine how ambulance services could be more effectively operated.

Butler and Mercer counties will work together in the program.

We’re glad the commissioners approved the program — but it should come as no surprise, considering that Commissioner Kevin Boozel initiated a task force on the matter at the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

The program comes at an important moment. A state Senate report last year aimed at analyzing how legislators can better support fire and EMS services found that EMS companies are underfunded and undermanned to the point that they are stretched perilously thin when responding to emergencies.

The long-term decline of firefighters and emergency responders in the state presents a grave threat. The fate of those facing emergencies can often be determined in a matter of minutes — and delays caused by short-staffing at EMS companies can lead to tragic results.

While it’s good news to hear from EMS supervisors, such as Nathan Bacher of Butler Ambulance Service, that Butler County is in decent shape, regarding ambulance service coverage because of EMS companies overlapping in various parts of the county, one of the top local issues is a decrease in new technicians and paramedics entering the field.

Some of the issues that will be discussed in the pilot program include reimbursement from insurance companies and Medicare, adequate training for EMS personnel and meeting staffing needs for EMS companies.

Boozel said the program’s objective is to gather information and create a “toolbox” that counties can use to improve their EMS services.

“EMS is in crisis,” Boozel said. “We want to move from crisis to highly functioning.”

That is a good, and urgent, goal.

It’s not surprising that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to some items and services in communities across the state seeing a decline in budgetary allocation. But EMS service is not one that can afford to come up short for funding.

We’re glad to see the County Commissioners Association and Butler County’s commissioners taking this matter seriously.

— NCD