Ambulance subscription drive in progress for McCandless, Franklin Park

The annual subscription drive of the McCandless Franklin Park Ambulance Authority is being mailed to residents of local municipalities as a potential cost-savings measure in the case of emergency care.

Coverage will run from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2025, for people who live in Franklin Park and McCandless.

“The subscription is a money-saving opportunity in the event a subscriber uses an emergency ambulance,” authority Chris Dell said. “Any balance left unpaid by insurance will not be the responsibility of the patient. As deductibles and co-pays have increased, the subscription program is all the more valuable.”

Coverage includes unlimited medically necessary emergency ambulance services and discounts on services that are not deemed medically necessary by patients’ insurance carriers.

The MFPAA also serves Bradford Woods, Marshall and Pine, all of which received subscription mailings in the winter for coverage that runs from March 1 until Feb. 28.

About 20% of the authority’s operating budget is derived from the subscription drive, campaign and grants, Dell said.

The MFPAA does not receive direct tax dollar support from the five communities it serves, but it does receive some contributions.

Most funding comes from the subscription program, donations and fees for services.

The call volume for 2024 has risen for the ambulance authority. Dell anticipates responding to nearly 10,000 requests for service this year.

Nevertheless, the average response time to high priority calls is less than seven minutes.

Meanwhile, operating expenses are on the rise. Based on the rising call volume, the MFPAA budgets to replace an ambulance each year.

“That is one of our biggest expenses,” Dell said. “Of note, we have seen the cost of ambulances increase from $200,000 just five years ago to over $300,000 in 2024.”

Pursuit of funding is an ongoing effort.

“We are very fortunate that all five of the municipalities we proudly care for contributed to our budget in 2024,” Dell acknowledged. “This has been very beneficial.”

He said the authority is aggressively working to obtain grant funding and manage operating costs.

“All in all, our financial picture is better than it has been in the past,” the chief said.

Dell has been strategically monitoring finances since he began with the authority in 2022. But he credits his entire team for having “embraced new operational and financial strategies that have streamlined our performance as a whole.”

As a reflection of the authority’s commitment, the MFPAA received the National Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services in May. The honor is considered the gold standard of the industry.

“We did this to provide our communities assurance they are being cared for by a top-notch EMS agency,” Dell said.

The accreditation is a mark of professional excellence in the ambulance service industry, indicating that an agency has met rigorous standards and is dedicated to continuous improvement, according to Sarah McEntee, CAAS executive director.

“Achieving CAAS accreditation is a comprehensive process that reflects an agency’s dedication to excellence in emergency medical services,” she said.

MFPAA’s main station is on Grubbs Road in McCandless, and stations also are in Franklin Park and Pine.

The authority has five ambulances, and a sixth on the way. It also has three paramedic squads and three wheelchair vans. Three of the five ambulances have been driven more than 100,000 miles and are beginning to become quite costly to maintain, according to Dell.

The nonprofit 501c3 was incorporated in 1977 as a municipal authority, first serving McCandless and Franklin Park. Two years later, it expanded to include the other three municipalities.

Visit www.mfpaa.org for more information.