Lancaster EMS

Who We Are

Lancaster EMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ambulance service. We provide primary 9-1-1 services to 21 municipalities encompassing over 275,000 Lancaster County residents. We are also one of the few remaining options available to Lancaster residents for non-emergency transportation to medical appointments or transfer between medical facilities. Our Community Paramedicine program is an innovative and holistic service that provides in-home support, treatment, and referrals for patients after discharge from the hospital, as well as childhood immunizations and lead screenings. We also operate a mobile hygiene unit, Refresh Lancaster, deployed three times a week in Lancaster City. This unit offers free showers and medical care to any individuals or families who need them.

Formed in 1996 after local hospitals divested ambulance operations, Lancaster EMS is not owned by a hospital or any local, municipal, county, or state government. We are a nonprofit organization governed by a 13-member board of healthcare and community leaders.

Nationally Accredited: Lancaster EMS has been nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) since 2005. This makes us 1 of just 6 CAAS accredited agencies in Pennsylvania and the ONLY one in Lancaster County!

Our Services

• 911 Emergency Response
  Primary emergency medical services for 275,000 Lancaster County residents.
• Non-Emergency Medical Transport
  Helping patients get to medical appointments or transfers between health systems.
• Community Paramedicine
  In-home services including follow-ups after hospitalization, blood draws, childhood immunizations, lead screenings, and more.
• New Parent Program
  In-home education on common infant medical emergencies, safe sleep, and infant CPR.
• Refresh Lancaster
  Mobile hygiene unit offering showers and medical services at no cost.
• EMT Academy
  An in-house, 15-week paid training course for EMT Basic Certification.
• CPR Training
  Heartsaver CPR/AED/First Aid training.
  
  

Providing Critical Care for Those You Love Most

Last year, Diane asked her husband George to go to the store while she visited a family member in the hospital. While there, she got the kind of phone call no one ever wants to receive. She was told that her husband was unresponsive and was being rushed to the very same hospital. She asked, “is he alive?” They responded, “we don’t know.” Diane ran to the emergency department and waited for him to arrive. 

Diane saw the chaplain walking toward her while she waited. In that instant, she thought her husband was gone forever - but George wasn’t gone. He had been found in his vehicle and someone quickly called for help. Lancaster EMS arrived on scene in under 4 minutes and began providing Advanced Life Support treatment and transported him to the hospital. It turned out that George had suffered cardiac arrest. His heart had stopped, but the Lancaster EMS first responders were able to bring him back.

Today, George is 100% back to normal. His road to recovery wasn’t easy, but he was able to walk away with no long-term side effects, a rare occurrence in cases like this. Now, George spends his days doing what he loves: riding his dirt bike, working with horses, and volunteering with an organization that helps veterans. 

George and Diane’s story highlights the life-saving care Lancaster EMS provides every day. When seconds mean everything, our providers are there – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, we are not owned or operated by any hospital, nor do we receive hospital financial support. We rely directly on the community we serve for support. Lancaster EMS paramedics and EMTs give extra every day…this year, can you?

What Your Donation Could Provide