Losing the VA EMS will be a hit to the area
VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services ended its EMS service at the end of February, leaving one less option for dispatch to call for emergency medical needs.
The VA’s ambulance service ceased operations effective midnight Saturday, Feb. 28. The VA fire service previously responded off campus during ECHO responses, which are for life-threatening medical emergencies, but those operations also ceased. No longer will it assist Butler Ambulance Service on calls.
But recently, VA Butler EMS had only responded to medical emergencies on VA grounds, such as at 325 New Castle Road in Butler Township and 353 N. Duffy Road in Center Township, according to Steve Bicehouse, Butler County director of emergency services. The VA offers assisted living to military personnel, where emergency medical care is likely a necessary utility to have on hand in the case a resident has a mishap.
Without the service, other emergency departments like Butler Ambulance Service will have to step up to the plate. Jesse Haas, director of operations for Butler Ambulance Service, said he anticipates Butler Ambulance Service will respond to 230 more calls this year on VA property.
Although these additional calls will mainly be confined to a few areas within Butler Township, this will put a further strain on EMS workers in the county, who are already inundated with calls on a daily basis. The VA has not disclosed the reason for the EMS agency’s ceasing of operations.
In any case, the loss of any emergency service is a hit to a community, and the closing of the VA’s, even though it was used for specific operations, will be felt around Butler County.
— ET
