Year in Review 2010

Tri-Community South EMS had 6,014 EMS responses for 2010, an increase of 115 calls from 2009. Non-Emergency transport calls decreased to 131 for the year, a decrease of 8 trips from 2009. Since entering service on December 31, 1977, Tri-Community South has answered over 141,000 emergency calls and has done over 21,000 non-emergency transports. In 2010, about 75% of all patients received advanced life support treatment. About 80% of all responses resulted in the transportation of a patient and 79% of all transports were to either St. Clair Memorial Hospital or Jefferson Regional Medical Center. About 4% of all calls are referred to mutual aid from surrounding services, and about 4% of Tri-Community South's responses are to provide mutual aid to these same services. All of these percentages are consistent with those from past years.

TCS employees and volunteers provided stand-by medical coverage to 370 school district and community gatherings in 2010, totaling over 649 staff-hours. TCS staff members also teach CPR and first aid, totaling in excess of 556 staff-hours in 2010. Tri-Community South remains among the busiest Community Training Centers in the American Heart Association's Northern Atlantic region, with more than 10,000 people trained annually, and every TCS employee is a CPR instructor.

Every employee and volunteer of Tri-Community South's staff also puts many hours each year into continuing education. In 2010, TCS employees again accumulated more than 500 hours of con-ed. Each paramedic attends at least 18 hours of instruction per year, and each EMT must attend 24 hours in two years. Every TCS employee exceeds these requirements, most by a generous margin. All of Tri-Community South's paramedics were recertified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support in 2010.

The system's six ambulances traveled a combined total of 115,062 miles during the year, an increase of about 8,891 miles from 2009. This is the first time in three years that the mileage traveled has increased, and it is still less than the miles traveled in 2007. This year's increase reflects the increase in call volume and attention to positioning vehicles in the service area to decrease response times. The relocation of Children's Hospital from Oakland to East Liberty also accounts for about 750 miles of additional travel for the year. By the end of the year, the total fleet mileage for the ambulances was 151,942. The system's support vehicle and response vehicle now have a combined fleet mileage of 49,554, making the total fleet mileage 201,496. Half of the ambulance fleet was replaced in 2010, and with all ambulances now less than three years old, no ambulance replacements are planned for 2011.

Tri-Community South's full time staff increased by one in 2010, with a field staff complement of the director, four supervisors, 20 full-time employees, five part-time employees, and five volunteers. The staff is stable and experienced, and the average employee has thirteen years of service with the system. An administrative and billing office staff of three supports the field operations.

February of 2010 saw the system's resources put to fullest use during the snowstorms of that month. During the month, Tri-Community South answered 540 calls, with up to five ambulance crews in service at a time during the worst weather from February 6th to February 10th, plus a supervisor in a response vehicle to assist crews when access and egress was difficult. The system's staff worked extended hours throughout the emergency. During the peak five days of the back-to-back storms, the staff put in an additional 198 hours of duty to protect the community. By the end of the month, the total had risen to 302 hours.

Tri-Community South's crews reached every person who called for help at every time throughout the storm. Though the weather conditions extended the response times, a crew was at the scene of most calls within 15 minutes. Tri-Community South remained self-sufficient throughout the emergency. During the first storm, the system responded to 76 calls in 48 hours. Of these, only two calls were turned over to mutual aid services, while Tri-Community South responded to seven requests for mutual aid to other services.

Tri-Community South EMS observed National Emergency Medical Services Week from May 16th to May 22nd with an Open House at the Bethel Park EMS base on Progress Boulevard on May 22nd, with free CPR Friends and Family classes and free Canine CPR classes. The system's Honor Guard joined with those of Pittsburgh EMS and others from the region in the presentation of the colors at the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game at PNC Park on May 21st.

For the third time in four years, a Tri-Community South EMS employee was honored by the Ambulance Association of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania EMS Provider Foundation as a recipient of the Stars of Life award. In 2010, two Tri-Community South EMS employees were among the recipients. The awards were presented to John Bower and Chris Geraci at the fourth annual Pennsylvania EMS 9/11 Event in Hershey on September 11th. The Stars of Life awards are given to EMS providers who particularly exemplify the "efforts and importance of the job our everyday heroes provide to the residents of this Commonwealth." John and Chris were among the 14 recipients of the award for 2010.

Tri-Community South EMS was also prominent at the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association Annual National Conference, held in Pittsburgh at the Marriott City Center on October 8th through 10th. Members of the Western PA Chapter for the SCAA planning committee included TCS Director Nora Helfrich, Supervisor Phil Vargo, and Michele D'Angelo. The planning committee arranged to honor those who had survived an episode of sudden cardiac arrest. These survivors would then meet their rescuers in a reunion held at a special Friday evening dinner event. Over forty survivors attended the Friday program, emceed by WTAE-TV newscaster Sally Wiggin.

For 2010, the system was again fully self-supporting, with all income coming from the annual subscription drive, user fees and third-party reimbursements, with some equipment purchases supported by the state's EMSOF program and other grants. No municipal tax monies were used to support the system, and Tri-Community South received no money from the Local Services Tax, levied by municipalities on people employed in the community. This is particularly remarkable, given the poor economy, the dramatic rise in system expenses, continued cuts in reimbursement by Medicare and other insurers, and once again, the very poor response by the residents to the subscription drive.

For more information on Tri-Community South, to register for a CPR class, or for any other questions on Emergency Medical Services, call Tri-Community South at 412-831-3710, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or visit the website at: http://www.tcsems.org