New EMS nonprofit begins services Feb. 19
The newly formed nonprofit organization Northeastern Berks EMS in Kutztown will begin offering emergency medical services starting Feb. 19.
“The creation of Northeastern Berks EMS was prompted by our feeling that the current emergency medical service being provided to Kutztown Borough and the surrounding areas could be improved,” said Doug Demchyk, president and Chief of Operations of Northeastern Berks EMS. “At the time the organization was first created, its focus was directed towards the community in which we were looking to serve. Our goal is providing the best possible and uninterrupted service.”
A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization, Demchyk said the administrative team at Northeastern Berks EMS is completely volunteer, with the exception of the President/Chief of Operations, saving the organization the cost of administrative payroll.
In addition, he said that as a not-for-profit organization, Northeastern Berks EMS is eligible for local, state, and federal grants that can be used for equipment upgrades and training exercises.
“Over all, the team at Northeastern Berks EMS not only is putting the community first, but we can accomplish this mission at an overall lower cost. Additionally, any profits that we make, by law, must be retained within the organization,” said Demchyk.
Five members serve on the board of directors. There are a total of 15 team members in the field division. Their certifications include Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced EMT, Paramedic, and Pre-hospital Regis-
tered Nurses.
“The mission at Northeastern Berks EMS is to provide exceptional prehospital emergency medical care and transportation to our patients who are in need of emergency medical services, and to provide our community, along with other emergency responders and response agencies, the opportunity for emergency medical training at the basic and advanced levels,” said Demchyk.
Northeastern Berks EMS operates two fully compliant and equipped Advance Life Support Ambulances, one of which will be in service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“At Northeastern Berks EMS we want to help make emergency medical service in Kutztown and the surrounding communities the very best it can be. We will play any role these communities choose for us, but the addition of Northeastern Berks EMS, if used properly, will improve the availability and response times of emergency medical services,” he said. “Additionally, we want to assure everyone that we are completely ready to begin service.”
Demchyk said this includes all licenses and registrations with the multiple governmental agencies, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. “On top of our standard licenses, we are also pleased to announce the we have recently been recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council for meeting all the standards established in their Voluntary Pediatric Recognition Program and have received a MASTER Level recognition,” he said.
Demchyk encourages anyone with questions or concerns to feel free to contact Northeastern Berks EMS directly.
“We would love the opportunity to explain our organization to anyone who wants to know more!” he said.
Northeastern Berks EMS is located at 220 South Maple Street, Kutztown. Call 484-294-0828 or email info@NnortheasternBerksEMS.com.