DTVAC Announces Annual Subscription Drive

 DINGMANS FERRY PA — ​It’s that time of year again for Delaware Township residents. Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corp (DTVAC) needs your help! By contributing to our annual subscription drive, you will help offset our operating costs for another year. Subscription donations are used to purchase emergency equipment, medical supplies, medications and to provide training to our volunteers. 

Our organization is on the front-line of fighting COVID-19.  The virus has taken a serious toll on our organization. Our cost of medical supplies including personal protective equipment has tripled. We have had to adopt new costly new treatments for our patients, as well as new PPE protocols to keep our personnel safe. Our organization has expended over $50,000.00 additional just to respond to this public health crisis. And because of this emergency, we have had to cancel almost all of our normal fundraisers, putting an additional strain on our organization.

Although we are a primarily volunteer organization, we must bill for our services. An ambulance trip to the hospital can cost more than $2,000. Most insurance providers, including Medicare, do not cover the entire portion of the ambulance bill. You can help both yourself and our organization by participating in our subscription drive. As a subscription member, you will not be billed for balances owed on services that are partly covered by your insurance carrier including insurance copays and deductibles, except for deductibles as mandated by Federal Law. On non-covered services such as non-emergency transports, and patient assessments (patient is not transported) you will receive a 50% discounted rate. 2018-2019 Subscription plans are valid from the date of payment received through December 10, 2019. There is no “proration” for those who wait to subscribe, so the sooner you sign up, the greater the benefit. Review the full subscription letter for subscription membership details. Subscription membership fees are only $35 for an individual, $55 for a couple, or $80 for a household (up to eight persons).

Subscription Drive letters have already been mailed, however, they are only mailed to property owners (on file with the Pike County Tax Claim Bureau). Renters/others will need to obtain a subscription form in one of the following ways: To download a copy of our subscription drive form visit the website, http://www.dtvac.org/subscription-program.html. You can also request a physical copy of the form by calling us at (570) 828-2345 or email us at info@dtvac.org. Physical copies of the subscription form are available in the vestibule of the Delaware Township Municipal Building, 116 Wilson Hill Road, Dingmans Ferry, PA. The Township Building is open Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:00 pm.

Your contribution is more important than ever, as the cost of medical supplies, personnel, and training continue to increase. DTVAC does not receive any direct tax money from local, state or federal sources. DTVAC is a non-profit organization, established in 1975, that subsists primarily on voluntary contributions and billing income to provide such superb service to our community. DTVAC is dedicated to providing basic and advanced life support ambulance services to the residents and visitors of Delaware Township, Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania. In addition, DTVAC provides advanced life support (ALS), the highest ground-based 911 ambulance service available, and mutual aid basic life support services to Delaware Township, Dingman Township, Milford Borough, Milford Township, Westfall Township, Blooming Grove Township, and Shohola Township.  

DTVAC is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services as an Advanced Life Support Ambulance Service, the highest ground-based 911 ambulance service available. DTVAC has been accredited by the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council’s Emergency Medical Services for Children Program. DTVAC has been certified through this program at the Master Level, which means that DTVAC has additional pediatric-specific medical equipment on its ambulances, requires EMS providers to complete ChildLine child abuse background clearances, requires EMS providers complete four hours of pediatric-specific continuing education per year, and is actively involved in multiple community outreach programs. DTVAC is the only ambulance service in Pike County with this accreditation. Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexuality, age, sex, disability, or gender identification. For more information about the subscription program or DTVAC call (570) 828-2345 or email info@dtvac.org. 

Child Safety Seat Inspection to be Held

 PIKE COUNTY, PA — ​On Saturday, September 12, 2020, several agencies will come together to offer a free Child Safety Seat Inspection to all area residents. Car seat inspection events aim to ensure all parents and caregivers understand how to choose an appropriate seat for the child’s age and size and how to install the seat correctly. Caregivers will be educated on how to select a child restraint that will fit their child, fit their vehicle, and be used correctly every time.

Getting safety information and car seat instructions to parents and caregivers are crucial to saving young lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers in passenger vehicles. Car and booster seats are one of the most important safety devices children use on a daily basis. According to the NHTSA, car fatalities are the leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old. Checked often, car and booster seats save lives.

The event will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2020, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps Station, 135 Park Road in Dingmans Ferry. The station is located at the intersection of Park Road & Myck Road in Delaware Township. No appointments are necessary. Participants may arrive anytime during the scheduled hours. All adults are asked to wear a face covering. During the event, Child Passenger Safety Technicians from Emergency Medical Services of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware Valley Emergency Servies, and the Pike County Highway Safety Program will be on-site to help answer any questions. 

Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps (DTVAC) is currently the only agency in Pike County accredited under the state’s Pediatric Voluntary Recognition Program, which recognizes emergency medical services agencies who provide a high level of care to pediatric patients. Events such as the child seat inspection are one of the ways DTVAC maintains this prestigious accreditation. If you are unable to attend this event and wish to have a car seat inspected you can make an appointment by calling Delaware Valley Emergency Services’s Passenger Safety Technician at (866) 491-3837 ext. 815.

New Treatment Protocols Announced for COVID-19 Response

 

PIKE COUNTY — Pike County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies have implement-ed new treatment protocols amid the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. These new protocols were put in place so the EMS providers could better assist the individuals needing help, and stay safer while doing it. Many COVID-19 patients treated by EMS experience respiratory difficulties and the treatment changes have centered on treating the breathing problems of the patient. On the Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances’ they will now be providing meter-dosed inhalers rather than using a nebulizer. With this change, came creating a new makeshift nebulizer spacer that was designed by Montgomery County Hospital District EMS in Texas and applied here in Pike County.

 

Kyle Wright, Captain of Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps (DTVAC) and Incident Commander of the COVI9-19 response stated, “These spacers will allow for the providers to administer Albuterol Sulfate to patients in respiratory distress with-out fear of any aerosolization of the virus.” Albuterol Sulfate is a bronchodilator used to treat or prevent bronchospasms. Wright has made these spacers available to other EMS agencies in the tri-state area and has already distributed many.

 

At the Advanced Life Support (ALS) level of EMS, DTVAC paramedics, under the guidance of Medical Director, Dr. John McCarthy, can now administer subcutaneous injections of Terbutaline to patents who are expressing respiratory distress. Wright said, Terbutaline is a drug that was used a long time ago before albuterol became the front-line medication for bronchospasm. It is exceptionally safe and effective and can help significantly improve the patient’s respiratory symptoms” DTVAC provides ALS service on an as-needed basis to and the townships of Dingman, Delaware, Milford, Shohola, Blooming Groove, and Milford Borough.

Keyfood Marketplace Donates to Local EMS Agencies

MILFORD, PA— On April, 9 2020 Junior Dabashi, owner of KeyFood Milford, donated many necessary supplies to Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Milford Fire Department Ambulance. Some of these supplies included; paper bags, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, cases of water, along with many other things. Of special note, Dabashi was able to donate multiple rolls of duct tape that will be used to seal PPE to make them airtight around the wrists and ankles. 

Keeping with their mission during this public health emergency, DTVAC took a portion of these donated supplies and gave them to other eastern Pike County EMS agencies that are responding to suspected COVID-19 calls.

Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps is a non-profit organization that provides basic life support (BLS) service to Delaware Township. The Corps also provides Advanced Life Support (ALS) service to Delaware Township and surrounding areas. We are always looking for volunteers! If you are someone you know is interested in volunteering please call us at (570)-828-2345. Any press inquires should be directed to cwill@dtvac.org.

DTVAC Begins COVID-19 Response

 

DINGMANS FERRY, PA — On March 25, 2020, Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps (DTVAC) responded to the Lake Adventure community in Dingman Township. This incident became the first suspected COVID-19 death to occur in Pike County. As a result of this incident, DTVAC instituted provisions in the Incident Command System (ICS) protocol and named Kyle Wright as the Incident Commander. Wright is a Board-Certified National Disaster Health Care Professional and a Nationally Registered Paramedic through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Wright appointed Jessica Brumbaugh the Planning and Intelligence Section Chief. Since March 25th DTVAC has been able to keep its ambulances in service 24 hours a day 7 days a week, along with having a second crew available for at least 12 hours a day during peak hours. DTVAC is currently responding to more calls for help than any other EMS agency in Eastern Pike County. 

DTVAC, under Wright’s direction, has been instrumental in implementing county-wide Zoom meetings with all the EMS agencies that are responding to calls for help in Pike County. Through these Zoom meetings, he has been able to provide guidance to other emergency health care providers on how to properly deal with a patient that is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. DTVAC has also taken the lead in procuring needed supplies that may run out on local BLS ambulances. The Corps has been able to procure multiple CPAP/BIPAP filters that will be used to help patients who are in respiratory distress. Various CPAP/BiPAP filters were able to be delivered to local and federal agencies. “It is our goal to provide residents of Delaware Township the best care possible,” said Wright, “by assisting other local EMS agencies with obtaining supplies, we are able to keep our ambulance’s in our township more often without needing to cover other townships 911 calls.”

Brumbaugh comes to the Ambulance Corps with a degree in Biology Vertebrate Physiology and a minor in Global Health from Penn State University. Complementing her experiences at Penn State, she has participated in multiple research studies on infectious diseases and public health. Brumbaugh is a certified Remote EMT and certified as a Medical Care Person In Charge (MCPIC) through the National Guard. 

Since Brumbaugh’s appointment, DTVAC has implemented many new operational procedures that have the common goal of providing the highest standard of patient care and keeping healthcare providers safe. Currently, the Ambulance Corps has implemented a “One Patient, One Provider’ policy to reduce the amount of exposure the provider and patient get during a call for service. DTVAC has also implemented a requirement that all of its providers wear surgical masks at all times while on duty in public, and wear N95 masks and gloves when on a call for help. These two policy implementations have allowed ambulance crews to continue to serve the public without fear of being exposed to COVID-19. As a matter of precaution, DTVAC has taken EMS providers over the age of 65 and any who are immunosuppressed off of on-duty ambulances and reassigned them to logistical services for the Corps.

On medical emergency dispatches that involve symptoms of CVOID-19 (cough, fever, difficultly breathing, sore throat, nausea, and vomiting), DTVAC has implemented an enhanced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protocol to keep providers safe. This PPE includes gloves, N95 mask or respirator, a full Tyvek suit or gown, hair coverings, and a face shield. The ambulance service has responded to over seventeen COVID-19 symptoms calls for help since needing enhanced PPE and is currently running dangerously close to running out of PPE and other supplies for its providers. The Corp is currently relying on donations from the public for the following supplies; hand sanitizer, bleach, bottled water, duct tape, contractor-style trash bags, ink pens, gloves, laundry detergent, soap, paper bags, batteries (C & AA), and saran wrap.

Since March 25, DTVAC has responded to multiple calls for mutual aid throughout the county. Because of the increased call volume, DTVAC has placed a bin outside of it building to place donations in. The building is also being manned 24 hours a day, unless there is an active call. Donations of any kind can be brought or mailed to 135 Park Road, Dingmans Ferry, PA. Donations of PPE or requests for PPE can be direct to the DTVAC COVID-19 Logistic Section Chief, Lieutenant Dillan Miller. Miller can be reached by dialing 570-828-2345. 

DTVAC EMT at Bon Secours Community Hospital. 

Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps is a non-profit organization that provides basic life support (BLS) service to Delaware Township. The Corps also provides Advanced Life Support (ALS) service to Delaware Township and surrounding areas. We are always looking for volunteers! If you are someone you know is interested in volunteering please call us at (570)-828-2345. Any press inquires should be directed to cwill@dtvac.org.

DTVAC Receives State Grant Funding

 Dingmans Ferry - Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps (DTVAC) is proud to announce it has received funding through the 2019-2020 Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program. This annual grant program allows fire companies, emergency medical services, and volunteer rescue squads in Pennsylvania the opportunity to obtain funds for upgrading facilities, purchasing emergency equipment, and providing training to their members. DTVAC will use the $9,192.44 in awarded funding for debt reduction associated with replacing an engine in its 2008 Ford Ambulance. This amount is the most money DTVAC has ever received through this program, administered by the Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner. Many other local emergency service agencies also received grant funding. 

 

DTVAC is a primarily volunteer organization that is always looking for help. If you are interested in volunteering for DTVAC, please them a call at (570) 828-2345

DTVAC Receives Grant for Patient Data Transmission

Delaware Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps (DTVAC) has received a grant used to purchase a new 4G cellular gateway for use with one of its cardiac monitors. The new gateway modem will replace an older 3G modem and allow for the quicker transmission of data from the ambulance to the hospital. Cellular gateways allow DTVAC paramedics to transmit patient data including EKGs and vital signs to local hospitals. In the case of a patient suffering a heart attack, this technology will allow the emergency department physician to review the patient’s EKG and alert the specialized hospital cardiac catheterization team before the patient arrives at the hospital by ambulance. Hospital cardiac team members may be “on-call” and may need to be paged from home and then respond to the hospital in the middle of the night, so this technology definitely cuts down on the time it takes to administer the proper care to the patient.  Local hospitals specializing in cardiac care compatible with this technology are Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono, Orange Regional Medical Center, Wayne Memorial Hospital and all Scranton hospitals. 

The grant was administered by Emergency Medical Services of Northeastern Pennsylvania (EMSNP), the non-profit agency tasked with carrying out the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s EMS functions in Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties. Monies from the grant were supplied by the state’s Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund (EMSOF). This fund is used to provide funding to maintain, improve, and develop the quality of the EMS System within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The EMSOF is routinely funded by surcharges added to tickets issued by police officers in the Commonwealth. 

Pictured left to right: DTVAC Lieutenant Dillan Miller and Paramedic Michael Travers, and EMSNP Board Members Mary Lou Corbett and Jim Mould.