By Kevin Mcconlogue
Wyoming County Press Examiner
WYOMING COUNTY, Pa. — The decline in EMS services continues to be a hot topic on everyone’s mind in Wyoming County, including the county commissioners.
The commissioners met Tuesday morning ( March 11 ) for the first time since Factoryville Fire Company announced it will end its ambulance service on July 1. This comes as neighboring Dalton Fire Company also stopped providing ambulance services on Feb. 14 . Both companies cited a lack of volunteers and finances as the main reasons for shutting down ambulance services.
“It’s a real shame that it has to come to this,” Commissioner Tom Henry said. “We (county) are doing whatever we can to help, but unfortunately our hands are tied with how much we can help in this situation.”
With the stoppage of ambulance services from both Dalton and Factoryville, the eastern part of the county has been seeing increased response from Clarks Summit Fire Company’s EMS Service. Kunkle Volunteer Fire Company has also been keeping an ambulance at the Wyoming County Healthcare Center in Tunkhannock Twp. that can provide response to the affected areas.
In recent times, the Factoryville ambulance has only been staffed one night a week due to lack of volunteers and Dalton has also been staffed sparingly in recent years. Both companies will continue to provide fire services.
Recently, the county has been working with the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, which is conducting a study on the EMS crisis in the county and what it could do to combat the crisis.
Commissioner Rick Wilbur — a former EMT and ambulance captain — said the county cannot implement an EMS tax to provide funds for paid EMTs because it violates Pennsylvania county code. Only boroughs and townships could implement such a tax at the local level.
“We’re hoping this study will bring some answers as to what we could do,” Wilbur said. “Obviously volunteerism is down all across the country and we’re not the only area going through this, but it’s a real shame.”
In other business, commissioners extended a lease agreement with Brooks Price for 10 years to continue to house Magisterial District Judge David Plummer’s office and the Penn State Extension Wyoming County office on Hollowcrest Road in Tunkhannock Twp. The lease will rise by 5%, but according to Wilbur is “a bargain” compared to inflation rates, and the first lease increase in 12 years.
Commissioners also approved the hiring of Wanda Campbell and Alexis Dutter for two open custodial positions; Phoebe McConaughey as a full-time corrections officer at the Wyoming County Jail; and Sara Dixon as a part-time nurse for training until Dotty Kustas retires in August.
The county also declared March 16-22 as Pennsylvania 4-H Week in the county.
The commissioners’ next meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 19, as compared to the normal Tuesday date because of the annual County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania Legislative Conference taking place Sunday-Tuesday.
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