- Last Updated on Wednesday, 30 April 2014 18:36
By Paul Chasko
Work is well underway for an ambulance station centrally located in Union Township. The new addition to the existing Union Township maintenance building will provide garage space for an ambulance and living quarters for an ambulance crew.
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| The Union Township emergency response garage is to be completed by mid-summer. |
Under a joint agreement, Union Township is providing the building and Jefferson Hills Area Ambulance Association (JHAAA) will provide an ambulance and crew to man the station 24/7. A second bay in the new addition will be used for Union Township equipment storage.
Presently, Jefferson Hills Ambulance dispatches an ambulance, when needed in Union Township, from their central garage in Jefferson Hills located on the opposite side of State Route 51. Other nearby ambulance services may be dispatched from either Monongahela or Peters Township. JHAAA personnel acknowledge that having an ambulance and crew based at the Union Township maintenance garage will significantly reduce their response time to residents of Union Township in need of emergency medical services.
Recognizing the critical need to provide a centrally located emergency medical response capability in Union Township, the Union Township Board budgeted this $330,000 project for 2014. According to Supervisor Larry Spahr, the township auditors suggested as part of their 2013 report that the township was in a favorable position to tackle a major expenditure that would benefit its residents. The project was funded in part by state impact fees (gas well drilling) and Local Share Account payments (gambling proceeds). No additional debt was incurred for this project.
The new Medical Emergency Response Station is scheduled to be completed by mid-summer.
