Medic Rescue

Options: Vision, Mission and/or Purpose of Organization

Medic Rescue is the provider of emergency medical services (EMS) serving communities of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Based in Bridgewater PA, we are a non-profit ambulance company, staffed by 152 paramedics, emergency medical technicians and wheelchair van personnel plus 25 support personnel.

Medic Rescue's Motto is, "It's More Than Our Job...
It's Your Life!"

We have backed up this claim last year by assisting thousands of patients throughout the greater Beaver Valley area. Medic Rescue has a fleet of 25 ambulances and 21 wheelchair vans. This fleet of vehicles log over 750,000 miles every year.

History of Organization:

Medic Rescue was established in October 1978 when County Ambulance Service closed its doors. It was a crisis situation when County Ambulance folded, leaving the 28 municipalities it had served wondering what would happen. At that time, County Ambulance responded to 68% of all Beaver County ambulance calls. Representatives of the health, business, and public safety communities stepped forward to create Non-Profit Emergency Services of Beaver County, doing business as Medic Rescue, a name coined by ambulance personnel during the beginning crisis hours.

When it was apparent that County Ambulance was going to close, Dr. Joe Fortuna began negotiating to buy it. He enlisted the help of a local doctor, attorney and accountant. It was decided then to form a new nonprofit ambulance service for Beaver County. Reeves Bank, now First National Bank of PA, became the lead bank through which five other banks in Beaver County chipped in their help by loaning start-up capital to the new company. Soon other county businessmen joined the group, and the new ambulance service began business with a Board of Directors of almost 20 members. Wayne Harley, the Beaver County Emergency Management Services Coordinator, coordinated the start-up on the Beaver County level. Medic Rescue rented garage space and staff living quarters in Beaver Falls and Rochester. The Police Communications Center established the radio dispatch headquarters for Medic Rescue. During the first 15 hours of its existence, Medic Rescue responded to 21 calls and saved Beaver County from a crisis situation. By November 5, 1978, the people of Medic Rescue were operating out of stations in Rochester, Beaver Falls, and Midland.

Medic Rescue began servicing Beaver County as a Basic Life Support Service. In 1982 Medic Rescue recognized the County's need for a more comprehensive ambulance service and established Advanced Life Support Service, which drastically advanced the scope of medical services Medic Rescue provided to the residence of Beaver County. In 1983, Medic Rescue purchased McCabe Ambulance in Ambridge and expanded its area of service. In April 1985, Medic Rescue purchased the two-story brick building which formerly housed the Duquesne Light maintenance facility on Bridge and Clarion Streets in Bridgewater. Shortly after, ambulance crews moved into the garage and renovations began to house the administrative offices, dispatch, and a crew room.

In 1989, Medic Rescue became one of the largest ambulance services in Pennsylvania by merging with Paramedic Rescue. A Board of five directors coordinates Medic Rescue today. Medic Rescue handles over 90% of all emergency calls in Beaver County, serving 52 communities. The Medic Rescue Dispatch Center was updated in 1991 with a computer-aided dispatch system designed to decrease the time it takes an ambulance to respond to a call. In 1994, Medic Rescue instituted Systems Status Management -- the positioning of ambulances and crews throughout the county to cut emergency response times. Medic Rescue personnel compiled historical data on ambulance usage. An analysis was made based upon types of ambulance calls received, busiest days, busiest hours of each day, and location of calls. Based on this analysis, a new coverage plan was established for positioning of ambulances by the hour of the day, the day of the week, and the location. In laymen's terms, this means that the ambulance you see sitting at the local convenience store is not on a break; it is posted there for the ultimate goal of cutting response time.

Leadership

Contact Information

Contact Phone Numbers

Number* Title / Description (Telephone, Toll free, Fax, etc.)
724-728-3621 office phone
724-728-3620 non emergencies

Web Addresses

Website* Title / Description (National, Local office, etc.)
www.medicrescue.org/

Primary Address

Address:

313 Bridge Street
Bridgewater, PA 15009
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Services Provided

Service Description

  • Ambulance service and Community Outreach Programs, blood pressure screenings, CPR/first aid instruction, "show and tell" to schools, boy scouts, girl scouts, etc.

Available Hours

8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday (Ambulance and Wheelchair services 24/7)

Fees/Cost for Services

Members - payments by 3rd party payers accepted; Non-members, based on level of services provided

Speaker Available

No

Volunteer Use

No

Volunteer Need

No

Thank You To Our Sponsors

We are grateful to our many partners who provide financial and operational support. 

OUR SUPPORTERS