SARS Recognized as EMS Agency of the Year

Second Alarmer’s Rescue Squad (SARS) is proud to announce that it has been named 2012 EMS Agency of the Year by the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council.

 
EMS Agency of the Year is awarded to an ambulance squad for their contribution to the development and growth of quality pre-hospital care within their community.  

SARS is being recognized for providing excellent pre-hospital emergency medical care and also actively contributing to the community. SARS has established a Community and Healthcare Provider CPR course program to educate both community members and other first responders.

SARS played an instrumental role in the in 2011; participating in one of the largest and most successful events of the month long celebration, a block party.  

SARS has also taken countless steps to improve the pre­hospital care our patients receiving; including the development of a nationally recognized stroke scale. 

Later this year SARS will begin a project in coordination with Abington Memorial Hospital’s Neurology Department to bring noninvasive hand-held brain scanners to the pre-hospital setting. 

This technology will allow EMS to screen patients for intracranial bleeding and identify those who would benefit from immediate referral to advanced neurology care. In 2010, SARS was recognized as one of the top 100 places to work by the Pennsylvania Foundation and PA Department of Community and Economic Development.
 
Commenting on this achievement, SARS Executive Director, Renee Bates said, “I’m very proud of the services we provide our community.  It is the hard work and dedication of all staff members that allows us to continuously provide our patients with the best possible pre-hospital emergency medical care.”
 
The formal announcement was made at the 35th Annual Pennsylvania EMS Conference, Friday, Aug. 17. The conference was held at the Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster.  The award will be presented at the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute Dinner on Nov. 19 in Camp Hill.
 
Second Alarmer’s Rescue Squad is one of the largest, non-profit, Emergency Medical Services providers in Montgomery County.  

SARS responds to over 12,000 emergency calls a year to provide medical and rescue services to the residents and visitors of Abington, Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland and Whitpain Townships as well as the Boroughs of Hatboro, Jenkintown, Rockledge, and their surrounding communities. 

SARS is composed of 123 employees and 100 volunteers, delivering service from five stations.  SARS has been the recipient of the EMS Agency of the Year award once before, in 1994.