Fayetteville squad named Ambulance Service of the Year

August 17, 2008|By KATE S. ALEXANDER

FAYETTEVILLE, Pa. - After 31 years of answering 911 calls in Fayetteville, the first licensed emergency medical services squad in Pennsylvania has been named the best in the state.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council on Friday honored Fayetteville Emergency Medical Services for its community involvement, technology and responsiveness by naming it Ambulance Service of the Year.

EMS Chief Ryan Elborne has nominated his squad for the award every year, so when he filled out the nomination for 2008, he did not think that of the 999 EMS squads in the state, he would be the one holding the plaque at the annual award ceremony in Harrisburg, Pa.

In the end, it was the squad's consistency in the midst of growth that caught the eye of the council, Elborne said.

Since 2007, Fayetteville EMS has grown considerably yet managed to maintain a call failure rate of less than 3 percent.

Elborne said grant money from the state allowed him to increase his staff, purchase three new wheelchair vans and two new ambulances, increase technology capabilities with cutting-edge equipment and offer an EMT training program.

It has been a great year for the squad, he said.

While it responded to more than 6,700 calls, it also graduated 10 licensed EMTs from its training program and spoke with more than 1,200 area students during its annual EMS week.

"This award belongs to the entire department and the community as well," Elborne said. "They are what we are here for and if it wasn't for them, we could never have won this award."

The squad might have been named the best service in the state, but that does not mean it will not strive to be even better, Elborne said.

Elborne said his goal is to not just provide the same level of service to Fayetteville, but to excel at that level of service.

The entire EMS squad strives to be better, so staff education and equipment upgrades will continue, he said.

|

|

|