By Rachel Ravina
The Reporter
EAGLEVILLE, Pa. — The Montgomery County Department of Public Safety has released a public survey seeking public input surrounding the emergency medical services system.
The seven-question survey includes multiple-choice options with additional forums for participants to expand their answers. The anonymous questionnaire will be available for the next three weeks, according to public safety officials.
“Our citizens are essential stakeholders in our study of the EMS system in Montgomery County,” Department of Public Safety Interim Director Brian R. McKown said in a statement. “Whether or not you’ve ever had to call 911 to request an ambulance, we need your feedback to help ensure a sustainable emergency medical services system for the future.”
There were 88,225 emergency medical services-related incidents in 2023, according to a public safety spokesperson.
Ambulance coverage in Montgomery County spans 16 emergency medical services nonprofits, as well as municipal government departments in Cheltenham and Upper Merion townships and Bucks County’s Grand View Hospital, according to Todd Stieritz, deputy director of public affairs for the county’s public safety department. Other first responder agencies provide additional support.
“Every six minutes, an ambulance staffed by dedicated EMS personnel is dispatched to an emergency somewhere in Montgomery County,” David P. Brown, deputy director of emergency medical services for the county’s public safety department, said in a statement.
Feedback gathered from the online survey will be used “as a vital source of information” for cultivating an EMS strategic plan, a public safety spokesperson said.
Looking ahead, those components are expected to evaluate the following areas:
—Readiness of emergency medical services systems to handle emerging threats.
—Analyzing costs of doing business and a sustainable funding model to include operating and capital costs.
—Evaluating the current EMS delivery model to ensure the efficiency of service delivery of critical calls to timely quality clinical care.
—Examining the workforce’s current and future needs including training.
“We have a duty to ensure that our EMS agencies have the support, funding, resources, and infrastructure they need in order (to) continue their excellent track record of service to our County,” Brown said.
Visit surveymonkey.com/r/MontCo_EMS_Public_Imput to fill out the survey and check out montgomerycountypa.gov/4478/2023-EMS-Strategic-Plan for more information about the overall strategic plan.
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