Following coverage changes, Butler Ambulance Service remains comfortable
Even with changes to nearby ambulance coverage, Butler Ambulance Service’s director of operations Jesse Haas said the service is not struggling to keep up with increased demand.
Two notable changes to ambulance coverage that impact Butler Ambulance Service took place in the past year: changes to VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services operations, including cessation of the operation of VA Butler EMS; and Forward Township ending service with Quality EMS.
As of Feb. 28, the VA’s fire service, which used to respond off-campus to life threatening medical emergencies or ECHO responses, now only responds on-campus. VA Butler EMS, which ceased operation entirely, covered an estimated 230 calls a year.
Haas said the changes with the VA caused a notable uptick in calls but had minimal impact because the ambulance service already covered the VA.
“We’ve always serviced the VA, even before the VA had their ambulance. We still provided coverage to the VA for all responses. The fire department tried to help out their veterans and also help us out at the time by starting the ambulance and doing some lower-priority calls,” he said.
He said even while VA Butler EMS was operating, Butler Ambulance Service still responded to high priority calls to provide advanced life support backup.
“With (basic life support), they could provide basic skills. They had a cardiac monitor so they could obtain EKGs. They did basic first aid — bandaging, splinting, oxygen administration and some basic medications. ALS does IVs, can interpret EKGs and have a lot broader range of medications that we can give,” Haas explained.
Forward Township, on the other hand, changed how its residents will be serviced in August after Quality EMS proposed a $35 per household fee for additional financial support. Quality was previously responsible for 446 addresses within the township.
After Forward Township dropped Quality EMS, Haas said Butler Ambulance Service held “very productive” meetings with township officials.
He said the change has caused minimal or possibly no impact thus far, but recognized the new coverage only took effect Oct. 1.
“Given where our station is geographically in Meridian, we still have good access to get to part of the Valencia Road side of Forward Township that Quality had served,” he said.
Butler Ambulance Service operates three stations — one in the City of Butler, one in the Meridian neighborhood of Butler Township and one off Route 8 in Center Township. Haas said the agency has gotten comfortable with balancing staffing and equipment between them.
“We’re pretty comfortable with our system, but we’re always looking at information to figure out how to best serve the residents and visitors in the coverage area we provide,” he said.
Haas said one major contributor to their ability to maintain staffing is the EMS Academy established by Butler County Community College and the county commissioners.
“We have had a significant number of new hires,” he said. “I believe a large majority of the last two cohorts from the EMS Academy we’ve hired on here. A decent number of those have already enrolled or are looking to enroll in advanced EMT and paramedic programs to further advance their skill sets.”
He said the academy has had a “tremendous impact” on Butler Ambulance Service’s operations and has helped Butler Memorial Hospital get patients in and out quicker.
“If you go to the hospital and you’re sitting in the ER and they decide they have to admit you, they have to wait for somebody to get out of a bed upstairs. If somebody’s discharged, having additional staff means we can get people out of the hospital quicker while not neglecting our municipalities,” he said.
In addition to ambulance services, the organization also provides a wheelchair van service to help those who may need it. He said the service staffs specific people during the day for the wheelchair service. However, evenings and overnights are usually done by ambulance staff due to low demand.
“We do contract with some local facilities, as well as getting their residents to and from doctor’s appointments. We do a lot of discharges out of the hospital to get people home using that method as well,” Haas said.
