On August 25, 2019, Susquehanna Valley EMS changed the way Emergency Medical Services are being delivered to the residents of Columbia Borough and the western corner of West Hempfield Township by launching a new program that enhances the Advanced Life Support services it already provides.

“We are staffing our ambulances with Advanced-level Emergency Medical Technicians and we are adding a Paramedic Response Unit so we can deliver the proper level of care to the patient as quickly as possible,” states Chief Michael Fitzgibbons. “Previously, when an ambulance was dispatched with a Paramedic and called for a low acuity injury that does not require the specialty care of a Paramedic, the Paramedic wasn’t able to respond to the higher acuity calls. Now, by staffing the ambulances with AEMTs and adding a Paramedic Response Unit, patients will receive the right level of care when they need it.”

The Paramedic Response Unit is equipped with all of the latest life-saving technology including Heat Monitor, Ventilators for breathing problems and medications to assist patients. The Paramedic Response Unit can respond to patients quicker than an ambulance can in most cases.

“The beauty of this new system is we have added two advanced-level care providers, a Paramedic, and an Advanced-level EMT to the communities” Fitzgibbons explains. “This is a level of care which has not been provided before.”

Susquehanna Valley EMS is making sure to deliver the proper level of service the patient needs and to make sure the patient is transported to the appropriate facility for the medical needs like emergency room, doctor’s office, or to be simply treated in their home.

SOURCE: news release