Dec 4, 2025 By Jon Andreassi 3 min read

At its next meeting, Peters Township council will likely decide what the future of ambulance services in the township will look like.

Council held a special meeting on Monday where they voted to table a decision on whether to absorb the local EMS service or contract with an outside provider. Township Manager Paul Lauer said council will vote on the issue at its Dec. 8 meeting.

During a workshop prior to the special meeting, council heard proposals from Canonsburg EMS, operated by Allegheny Health Network, and Ambulance & Chair, operated by UPMC.

For the past 62 years, ambulance services in Peters Township have been provided by Peters Township EMS, which is owned by Memorial Park Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 764. Peters Township EMS also services Finleyville and Nottingham Township.

In a post to its Facebook page, the ambulance service said the VFW could no longer financially support the operation.

Tom McMurray, the director of Peters Township EMS, hopes that council will ultimately decide to take on the ambulance service as a municipal entity, such as the police and fire departments.

“My recommendation is that they find the funds and work to have an EMS that’s part of the township,” McMurray said.

McMurray added that “there seems to be some resistance from township council and township administration.”

If council elected to outsource ambulance services, McMurray said Peters Township EMS would cease operations.

“(AHN) was more emphatic that they would buy our equipment,” McMurray said, adding that Ambulance and Chair was noncommittal. Both organizations indicated they would interview current employees of Peters Township EMS.

Lauer said if council would decide to go the route of supporting the local ambulance service, it would become a township entity. He did not say how much that would cost the township, but said the township would have to buy the organization’s building at 300 Municipal Drive and its equipment.

“The township would have to absorb the cost of operating the ambulance service, probably for as long as six months before the revenue being generated is sufficient to be able to cover the cost of the service itself,” Lauer said. “It’s substantial.”

If council decides to contract with an outside ambulance service, Lauer said officials would also likely vote to negotiate a contract.

McMurray worries about response times if Peters Township outsources EMS services.

“My bottom line concern, when a community member needs an ambulance, they need it to be there in a reasonable amount of time,” McMurray said. “(Council) really stepped up for the fire department, and they probably should for EMS.”