Valley ambulance services still need volunteers

Nov. 13--Struggling Valley ambulance services are being revived as emergency responders appeal to communities for help.

On Thursday, the Trevorton Community Ambulance announced on its Facebook page that it had six new certified emergency medical technicians and 10 others expressing an interest in serving with Northumberland County's only all-volunteer ambulance squad.

In western Snyder County, the Beavertown Ambulance was set to shut down at the beginning of the year before a group led by resident Bob Rice, EMT Stephanie Thomas and Mayor Lee Hollenbach Jr. recruited 17 people in recent weeks.

Seven people living in and near Freeburg, another Snyder County community faced with the pending closure of its quick-response squad due to a lack of volunteers, also responded to a plea for recruits in the past month.

Fewer people having the time needed to obtain training in basic medical support and respond to emergencies at all hours is jeopardizing small ambulance services across the country.

Gene Geise, president of the Trevorton Community Ambulance, which was established in 1940, said money isn't the issue.

"We have the equipment, we just built a new building, we're great otherwise," he said in August. "We're down to a skeleton crew of five to six people. That's not enough to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

The department responds to about 300 calls a year.

Geise said the new recruits likely will prevent the closure of the ambulance service, but volunteers from the four municipalities its serves, Trevorton, East and West Cameron and Little Mahanoy townships, still are needed.

"There are people out there who want to volunteer, but we're getting people from out of our area, like Shamokin and Elysburg. We still need local people who are close by" and can respond to emergencies quickly, he said.

The rejuvenated Beavertown Ambulance has attracted 17 volunteers, most of whom are trained EMTs and able to get to work immediately, said Rice.

"They stepped up to the plate. There's always been a great sense of community in Beavertown," Mayor Hollenbach said.

The Beavertown Fire Company has voted to accept the new ambulance company as a charter member, with Rice as its president and Thomas as EMS captain.

A public meeting to inform the community about its emergency services will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 19 in the borough building.

Copyright 2015 - The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.