Indiana Township ambulance service closing after 28 years

After working under the same roof for almost three years, employees with Seneca Area Emergency Services soon will be working as West Deer EMS Service.

Seneca Area EMS announced Tuesday night that it will close as of Jan. 1, after operating for 28 years.

Seneca Area EMS covers the western portion of Indiana Township.

“This was not a choice that was made lightly,” Seneca EMS said in a statement. “Every option was considered, and great care was made to ensure that the people of Indiana Township would be left in the best hands.”

Attempts to reach Seneca EMS were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Medical services will be turned over to West Deer EMS, and residents’ subscriptions with Seneca will be honored through August. For nearly three years, Seneca Area and West Deer’s ambulance services have been sharing a building on East Union Road near West Deer’s township building.

“We’ve been working very closely with Seneca EMS, and we’ve been collaborating with them for just under three years,” said West Deer EMS Executive Director William Humes.

What Seneca’s closure means for West Deer EMS is an increase in calls, Humes said. He said West Deer’s ambulance service offered Seneca’s seven employees jobs with West Deer. All but one have signed on, he said.

“There’s really no change other than the name on the side of the ambulance,” Humes said.

Seneca’s decision to close was made by the service’s board of directors, its statement said. It’s unclear why Seneca is closing.

Emergency medical services across Pennsylvania have been dealing with minimal state and municipal funding coupled with low private donations and insurance reimbursements. Leaders in the industry have described it as a crisis in calling for a more sustainable funding model and help from municipalities, counties and the state.

Seneca Area EMS is not alone: Several rescue agencies across the state have closed in recent months, including Jeannette EMS, which operated for 63 years.

According to the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute, there were 1,645 EMS agencies statewide in 2013. By 2017, the number dipped to 1,278, a 22% decrease.