McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority seeks 5-year funding commitments

McCandless is being asked to join other municipalities in a five-year funding commitment to the McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority.

This would reflect a total of $1.7 million over five years, if all municipalities agreed.

In 2026, there would be a total commitment of $299,000, reflecting contributions of Bradford Woods, Pine, Marshall, McCandless and Franklin Park. This would increase yearly until 2030, according to a presentation by MFPAA Chief Chris Dell at the McCandless Council meeting June 23.

“Only 7% of the (MFPAA) budget is based on municipal support. We’re working very hard at our billing, our grants, our capital campaign and our other campaigning. We’re doing everything we possibly can to keep the municipal requests as low as possible,” Dell said.

Several municipalities already have agreed to the five-year commitment based on households, including a 2026 commitment from Bradford Woods at $5,700, Marshall at $41,500 and Pine at $65,000.

Dell said they are still negotiating with Franklin Park.

McCandless, which has not yet agreed to the five-year commitment, represents the largest of the MFPAA service area — at 45%. It would have the biggest cost with $128,000 in 2026.

This comes to roughly $10.61 per household, communitywide, Dell said.

The commitment would increase steadily every year until 2030, when the total financial contribution from all five municipalities would be $375,100 that year. In 2030, Bradford Woods would pay $7,600, Marshall at $54,500, Pine at $70,000, Franklin Park at $75,000 and McCandless at $168,000, with the latter two still on the table.

Dell said with ambulances costing about $400,000 each, along with other equipment, a stable financial outlook helps with the agency’s planning.

Billing for calls can only occur when a patient is transported to a hospital, which takes place 60% of the time, as patients may not need or want to go to the hospital.

“It’s a strange business. Not too many businesses you only get paid for 60% of the work you do,” Dell said.

Then, the reimbursement rate of those bills from insurance companies is 40%, Dell said.

The ambulance also attends certain fire calls.

Twenty percent of the MFPAA operating budget is funded by fundraising, subscriptions and grants, Dell said. In 2024, a capital drive pulled in $304,000.

And the subscription drive raised more than $490,000, but only 19% of the households subscribe in McCandless, he said.

So far in 2025, the MFPAA has secured 13 out of the 30 grants they submitted, with 11 still pending, totaling more than $280,000. In 2024, it was more than $386,000 in grants, according to the presentation.

All of this funding is not guaranteed every year, Dell said.

“We’re seeking predictable and sustainable funding,” Dell said.

Members of McCandless Council quesitoned whether the contributions were funding the authority’s capital improvement plan needs instead of operational needs, adding the town also has to plan for financial requests from the library and the town’s three volunteer fire departments.

Council President Jason Singer acknowledged the success of the MFPAA’s grant wins but wanted to ensure that less grant money doesn’t mean the agency is expecting more municipal funding.

Dell said he underpredicts the grant acquisitions for the coming year, noting the agency could end up with a higher amount than what his presentation predicted.

Singer said he is committed to making sure the MFPAA doesn’t fail but noted it was council’s responsibility to find out this information.

“This is a contribution from our tax,” Singer said. “I have to ask these questions because I’m going to be asked the same ones so this is my chance to ask those.”

Council member Patricia Cloonan agreed.

“We have to be very fiscally responsible and be ready to answer questions from our residents,” she said.

Dell said municipal contribution monies will first go toward operational expenses, and, if that portion of the budget overperforms, it will go toward the capital improvement plan. He said the ambulance authority’s operating budget is guided by the municipal contributions.

Examples of recent capital improvement plan expenses include new roofing, siding and interior improvements at the main station on Grubbs Road. Similar upgrades also were done at its Franklin Park substation, Dell said.

The third station, housed in the Wexford Fire Station, is in the basement. Dell said they would like to find its own space because working out of the basement is not conducive to operations.

There is no plan to fund this on their own, so it’s not included in the budget outlook. They are talking with Pine Township or AHN on possible aid or space, he said.

The MFPAA’s major expenses are its equipment. The 2017 and 2019 ambulances cost $400,000 each, and two squad cars cost $70,000 each. They have seven cardiac monitors totaling $455,000.

“If we don’t outperform our operating budget, we’re not able to afford the items that are in the capital plan wihout taking away from our funding reserves,” Dell said.

The grant money usually goes toward capital expenses, such as ambulance and equipment costs.

They are trying to drive up their subscription base.

A subscriber can save about 50% of what is left unpaid by insurance.

“It’s not uncommon to save upward of $300 to $400 for a subscriber,” Dell said.

A subscription drive will be mailed out this August.

Dell provided data to show the busyness of the MFPAA, with more than 4,600 calls year to date and 59% of those being from McCandless.

The average call response time by the MFPAA, which achieved national accreditation in 2024, is seven minutes. They had 9,412 calls in 2024, compared to 5,852 in 2018.

Dell said the MFPAA has had 14 cardiac arrests saves since the beginning of the year.

“And I believe six of those folks are having dinner with their family this evening. So, that is comes with the high-performing EMS,” he said. “It’s rapid response. It’s highly qualified individuals operating with the best possible equipment.”

McCandless Council will have to decide on these budgeting requests before the start of its budget season, town Manager John Schwend said.