Wednesday
September 18, 2024 
Hilltown officials are looking at ways to improve ambulance response times in the township.
The topic came up at the May 28 meeting of the Hilltown Board of Supervisors, where data presented showed that the typical 16:37-minute response on calls in Hilltown was longer than the typical response time seen across Bucks County (12:55 minutes).
“We are having an issue and we need to have it resolved,” said Supervisor Chair Caleb Torrice. “Our job is to support our EMS and to watch out for our residents. That is why we’re examining this.”
Four emergency services outfits currently serve Hilltown. Each has a section of the township in which they are designated the “first due” — the primary responder.
If a call comes within a particular company’s primary zone, they’re supposed to be the first to respond. Other ambulance units can provide back-up if needed, or respond instead of the “first due” outfit if that primary company is unable.
A potential issue in Hilltown is that one of the EMS companies — Grand View — was only responding to 58% of its primary responder/first-due calls, data shared at the meeting showed. That could be contributing to overall longer response times in Hilltown, according to officials.
Still, Torrice said supervisors weren’t “trying to throw anyone under the bus” and officials indicated that issues in play could prove complex and must be studied at more depth.
That’s why supervisors are meeting with each of the ambulance companies in an effort to understand challenges, concerns and potential opportunities for improvement. Supervisors are also collaborating with the Bucks County Department of Emergency Health Services and hosting public presentations from EMS providers.
Ultimately, the goal is to determine what, if any, adjustments are necessary and then implement them. This could include remapping “first due” call zone responsibilities, but that’s yet to be determined.
“We’re fortunate to be served by good ambulance companies,” Torrice told the Herald in an interview after the meeting. “We understand EMS providers everywhere are often dealing with a lot of challenges, from securing adequate funding to getting compensated fairly by insurance companies to staffing shortages and turnover. We want to support our first responders and get our residents the best response times possible.”
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