Coatesville ambulance service downgrades life-saving services: 'Where are people going to get help?'
COATESVILLE, Pa. - Coatesville City Council says the ambulance company that the town has a five-year contract with is downgrading its services after just months.
Washington Hose Company provides ambulance service to Coatesville, but city council says it was blindsided by an email saying they will no longer provide Advanced Life Support Services (ALS).
ALS is a specific level of care needed for severe health emergencies, including heart attacks and strokes. This comes shortly after Coatesville lost its hospital, causing resident to be taken to hospitals in Paoli or West Chester.
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President of Washington Hose Company and Deputy Chief of Emergency Medical Services Dave Norcini says an ambulance will come and an EMT will do why they're trained to do to fill in the gap in service.
"Nothing will be changed here," Norcini said "You call an ambulance, there will be an ambulance, you calll for ALS, there will be an ALS; 90% of your calls EMT can handle."
That was little reassurance for residents who spoke to FOX 29, who called the regression in services paired with the loss their hospital "a big concern."
"It's bad enough we don't have a hospital, how are people going to get help?" one resident told FOX 29.