Every year, thousands of people across Allegheny County rely on ambulance services from about 35 agencies. But EMS chiefs across the county warn that systemic issues could affect this core mission.
Apart from Pittsburgh EMS, which covers the city of Pittsburgh, the other agencies in Allegheny County serve communities of 7,000 residents up to 75,000. While the communities are different, chiefs repeated strikingly similar problems — staff shortages and budget shortfalls, ultimately caused by low reimbursement rates from Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance, as well as lack of funding from municipalities.