While Cranberry Township EMS and municipal leaders are still making plans for a proposed ambulance authority, the Alle-Kiski Emergency Services Authority in nearby Allegheny County already had its first meeting Tuesday, April 28.

Citizen’s Hose Ambulance Service Chief Jim Erb said it has taken about two years of planning with local officials, consultants and the state to get to this point. However, he said much of the hard work still needs to be done in the next 6 to 9 months.

The blueprint for the authority was established in Lancaster County, according to Brad James, the chief of Eureka Fire & Rescue, the other EMS agency involved in the recent formation of the authority in Allegheny County.

He recalled learning about how 10 to 12 agencies on the other side of the state came together under one authority when searching for solutions for Western Pennsylvania.

“It’s already been proven to help other regions,” Erb said.

While Cranberry Township EMS explores the idea of an authority, the Alle-Kiski authority recently was approved by the state and received its articles of incorporation.

Next steps for the Alle-Kiski authority will be finalizing costs to municipalities, according to Rob Brady, the president of Robb Consulting, a Lancaster County consulting agency that both Alle-Kiski and Cranberry Township leadership are working with to establish themselves.

Brady said the authority model and fee schedules are very fluid and based on the area’s needs. The consultants factor in the level of service the community demands, call volumes, response times, dispatched distances, demographics and population, and staffing and equipment costs when developing a fee schedule.

In fact, the concept of an authority — alongside other potential funding solutions — was mentioned just earlier this week at a meeting held by Karns City Ambulance in the northeastern portion of Butler County.

“Everyone is looking at how can we make a sustainable 911 EMS system,” Brady said.

The first meeting for the Alle-Kiski authority included hiring an executive officer and applying for Medicare and Medicaid resources, Erb said. The authority board was previously appointed by municipal government leaders.

Under Alle-Kiski’s authority model, employees must reapply to the authority instead of their respective EMS agencies.

Cranberry Township EMS Chief Matt Nickl said their authority model would be different and the ambulance service would remain an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit.

James said the process for Alle-Kiski started with forming an exploratory committee consisting of municipal government and EMS leaders and state representatives. It began with six municipalities, but now only three are involved.

“We’re eagerly anticipating moving forward,” James said.

Tarentum borough manager Dwight Boddorf said his borough assessed other options, but the traditional funding tools available to municipalities are limited. He said the half-mill EMS tax included in the state constitution would raise only about $50,000 for EMS if adopted.

“That helps, but it is nowhere near enough to cover the actual cost of EMS readiness, including staffing, vehicles, equipment, insurance, training and maintaining 24-hour response capability,” he said.

Boddorf added residents had questions, but once the state of the EMS industry was explained, the conversation shifted.

James added he believes the legislature’s failure to act on raising insurance reimbursements indicates they are expecting a solution at the local level.

“We don’t think any of us would be in this situation if we could get the insurance reimbursements back where they need to be,” he said.