EMS Administration

Time Line

• 1976 - Haverford Township Paramedics established in as a CETA project to supplement the two volunteer BLS fire company ambulances in the Township and grow an ALS service.
• 1981 - the Township shares the project with Haverford Community Hospital, later becoming Mercy Haverford Hospital. Township being responsible for vehicles, fuel, and maintenance. The Hospital contributes staff, supplies, and Medical Direction – receives ALS portion of billing. ALS services include Marple Township and Newtown Square Township contracts.
• 2002 - Mercy Haverford closes and Township once again takes over ALS services, University of Pennsylvania agrees to contract of 2 paramedics, medical supplies and Medical Director. Penn Medicine logo added to Medic vehicle. Contract reduced to 1 paramedic in 2008. Logos added to all three medic trucks.
• 2012 - The Township seeks to partner with a second entity to provide ambulance transport and additional EMS care to its residents.
• 2014 - Services contracted with the University of Pennsylvania
• 2016 - Services contracted with the Narberth Ambulance Corps.

About

The Haverford Township Paramedic Department has provided care for the Township's sick and injured since its inception in the late 1970's. The discipline of Emergency Medical Services has grown rapidly on a local, state, and national basis. It is a fact that the first rescuers to someone in a critical situation have the greatest impact on that person's medical outcome. With this in mind the Township of Haverford has always strived to have the best possible EMS services in place, a task made more difficult in these times of great pressure on the nation's healthcare needs.

While the Township does currently subcontract its day to day 911 EMS services to the Narberth Ambulance Corps, it also maintains its own Pennsylvania Department of Health Advanced Life Support License. This license allows for the Township's EMS director and Deputy Director to operate ALS Responder (SUV) vehicles, provide incident command at large events, catastrophes and, a host of other situations that stress our emergency resources. This license also allows for the Township's core group of Tactical Paramedics to integrate with the Township’s police department.

While one may think the role of the EMS Department as solely that of providing "Ambulance transport", it goes far beyond that aspect. Our Township's EMS department includes:

• Medical oversight of all special events in the Township, such as music festivals, Heritage Day, Haverford Township Day and related events.
• CPR and First Aid training
• Stop the Bleed Training
• Administration of Narcan Training
• Preplanning for catastrophic events such as storms, power outages, fires and other disasters.
• Liaisons with police, fire and rescue services
• Addressing large-scale public health situations such as the Opioid Crisis and mass vaccination events.
• Maintaining close relationships with the surrounding healthcare systems and assisting EMS agencies.
• Oversight of all aspects of the EMS related contracts.
• Maintain a seat on the Delaware County Emergency Health Services Council, to assist in providing oversight to the County’s entire EMS system.

If any Township resident, visitor or business has any questions, we encourage them to contact this department at 610-446-1000. If any Township resident, visitor or business has any questions, we encourage them to contact this department at 610-446-1000.

Contact Information

• Chief James P. McCans MS, NR-P, FP-C | Director of EMS | Ext. #2222
• Deputy Chief Victor M. Berg EMT-P | Deputy Director of EMS | Ext. #2223