History

On February 27, 1996, Lancaster EMS was incorporated as a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) emergency medical services organization. This was the result of a consolidation between the Advanced Life Support (ALS) Services at St. Joseph Hospital (now Lancaster Regional Medical Center), which originally launched into operation in 1972, and those ALS services of Community Hospital of Lancaster, whose pre-hospital ALS service originated in 1977.

At 0700 hours on April 28th, 1996, the new autonomous company (not hospital owned) began operation under a new name and the combined resources previously operated by two hospitals. This new service was responsible for providing 9-1-1 ALS services to eighteen municipalities across Lancaster County. To do this, Lancaster EMS operated ALS units from five separate locations. Additionally, Lancaster EMS leased EMTs to multiple independent BLS agencies. At the height of the leasing program there were over 100 employees being leased to other ambulance service providers.

One of the agencies leasing personnel from Lancaster EMS was the East Lampeter Ambulance Association. The East Lampeter Ambulance Association, founded August 1948, consolidated into Lancaster EMS in November of 1997. They were the first BLS service to do so. As a result, Lancaster EMS's role expanded from ALS to BLS and non 911 services. This led to a period of rapid growth for Lancaster EMS.

The next consolidation occurred on January 24th, 1999. On this date, the pre-hospital services of Lancaster General Hospital (LGH), an ALS service dating back to 1973, consolidated into Lancaster EMS. This marked the first major cooperative effort involving all three Lancaster City hospitals at the time.

On October 9, 1999, the West End Ambulance Association joined Lancaster EMS. This consolidation was the fifth since 1996. The West End Ambulance Association, based in Millersville, was one of the first BLS service in the County to hire paid personnel during the early 1980s. The organization began service in 1973.

The most recent consolidation was that of the Strasburg Community Ambulance Association. They consolidated into Lancaster EMS on October 1, 2001. The Strasburg Community Ambulance Association was originally founded in 1970.

Lancaster EMS is proud to be the first to consolidate ambulance resources in Lancaster County.