Tower Health announced Wednesday that TowerDIRECT, the system’s non-profit ambulance company, has been awarded three-year contracts to provide emergency 911 response services in both Amity and Union Townships.
The contracts began on March 15, 2023. One Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance will be stationed at 824 East Benjamin Franklin Highway, Douglassville in Amity Township to support the anticipated 1,700 medical calls per year. The TowerDIRECT team anticipates responding to approximately 200 calls annually in Union Township which will be serviced by TowerDIRECT ALS units from Amity or Birdsboro.
As part of the contract, Amity will provide “Ambulance Membership” for all residents. This means township residents will not incur out-of-pocket expenses for emergency services, consistent with the details of their insurance coverage. Township residents will also receive discounted transportation for using TowerDIRECT for non-emergency patient transports.
Earlier this year, TowerDIRECT entered into similar contracts with the Boroughs of Phoenixville and Birdsboro. In addition, TowerDIRECT relocated its ALS ambulance from Gibraltar Fire Company to 318 W Main Street, Birdsboro to provide more timely response to the growing community covered by TowerDIRECT EMS.
P. Sue Perrotty, Tower Health President and CEO, said, “As we continue to expand services to the communities we care for, we’ve also grown the TowerDIRECT team. Since the beginning of the year, we have added three new ambulances and a total of 28 new EMT’s, paramedics, and pre-hospital nurses. We are so pleased these professionals made the choice to join our team and provide high-quality care to our patients in Amity and Union townships.”
TowerDIRECT will be dispatched by the Berks County 911 Communications Center. In addition to responding to 911 calls, the TowerDIRECT team will also provide medical care at community events such as parades, football games, and other large public gatherings.
Herbert Schiffer, DO, Medical Director at TowerDIRECT shared, “When patients are having a medical emergency EMS providers are often the first on the scene. Their expertise in the field is critical as they assess patient conditions and begin treatment in the field so they can safely transport the individual to the hospital.”
TowerDIRECT services include: Emergency 911 responses to municipalities, Inter-facility transport services, Critical care transport services, EMS outreach and Community paramedicine.
