A last remaining fire department based ambulance services in Somerset County will not be responding to emergencies much longer. This is due to high costs.
The board of directors of the Boswell Volunteer Fire Department voting to eliminate their ambulance division.
We spoke with borough officials and locals about this decision. So McKenzie, how is the community handling it? Just locals, borough officials and Boswell EMS workers were emotional today, discussing the potential impacts.
In 1986, the Boswell Fire Department added ambulance services for their community and those in the surrounding area.
36 years later and the fire department’s ambulance services are soon to be no more.
“All throughout the country, ambulances are struggling to make ends meet and Boswell is no different.”
“We would rather lose the ambulance there than lose the fire department completely.”
Jonathan Adams and Miranda Reeve told me how ending Boswell EMS Services has been in discussion for some time. The final decision came down to financial and staffing issues.
“But after a lot of. Decision and struggle. They have decided to close the doors on the service. I mean, they have provided an excellent service to our community as much as possible and backed it all up.”
That’s why many locals agree that they offered great services to the community but are concerned with the idea of no ambulance services in Boswell.
“Terrible news. We need an ambulance.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ve used the ambulance service several times because my husband had heart problems, has heart problems, and my daughter has spinal bifida.”
Borough officials are still working out the details of which EMS service would serve the Boswell community.
“When you call 911, certainly there there is going to be an ambulance dispatched it. It might not be coming from here in town, but but, you know, there’s always going to be someone available to to respond here. Your emergency.”
The last day of the Boswell Volunteer Fire Department, EMS Services is September 30th.