Fairfield, Pennsylvania, merges fire and ambulance services
In July, the Fairfield (PA) Community Fire Company and the Fairfield (PA) Amvets Community Ambulance Service became the new Fairfield Fire & EMS. The merger was the conclusion of some 18 months of planning.
Founded in 1921, the Fairfield Community Fire Company, in 1998, had a membership of about 200, including some 50 highly trained firefighters. It had four modern firefighting vehicles. The fire company responded to nearly 150 emergency calls in 1998.
The ambulance service, founded 1n 1976, began with a used Oldsmobile ambulance and about 50 dedicated citizens who wanted to have an ambulance in town to serve Fairfield and the surrounding area. In 1998, the Fairfield Amvets Community Ambulance Service had about 100 members, about 30 of them highly trained emergency medical responders, and two modern ambulances. They responded to more than 400 calls in 1998.
The two organizations operated in buildings across the street from each other. The Fire & Rescue joint organization will keep both buildings. No plans have been made to use the ambulance headquarters. The merger will negate the need for separate fund-raisers, and the combined organization will have joint training programs and one monthly meeting, reducing the time commitment for members who were part of both organizations. “The new organization will more efficiently use the volunteer personnel and facilities funded almost entirely through donations from community members and businesses,” explains Fairfield Fire & EMS Chief Gordon Sachs. The merger will also decrease costs for insurance coverage, training, and utilities and maintenance costs.
According to Sachs, Fairfield was the only jurisdiction in Adams County that had separate fire and ambulance services.
