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Ridgway ambulance membership drive |
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Wednesday, 13 February 2008 |
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By Joseph Bell
As Ridgway Ambulance continues its annual membership drive during February and March, manager Sean Papa recently outlined several reasons as to why an individual should join the hometown ambulance service.
Papa said although Ridgway has an ambulance service, many small towns do not.
“Some think it’s a given that an ambulance will be nearby but that’s not the case,” Papa said. “Some towns that don’t have an ambulance service have to wait 20 minutes or however long for an ambulance to arrive.”
According to Papa, in many cases, a victim’s location and ambulance service location becomes a life-or-death situation.
Papa said the revenue generated from the annual membership drive and membership fees aids in purchasing state-of-the-art equipment.
“It helps keep our equipment
updated so that we can take better care of our patients,” Papa said. “It also aids in getting cutting-edge training.”
Papa’s third reason deals with transportation itself.
“”We provide the needed transportation that is medically-neccesary,” Papa said. “We provide the transportation to hospitals capable of a higher level of care when it is needed.”
On average, a trip in an ambulance to a medical facility usually costs the victim around $800.
However, according to Papa, with a Ridgway Ambulance membership, costs are greatly decreased.
“If your insurance company doesn’t cover your bill in full, as a member, we will cover you,” Papa said. “If you have no insurance but are a member with us, then we eat the bill.”
However, Papa’s no. 1 reason for obtaining Ridgway Ambulance membership is that his employees ensure the liability of the service.
“You never know when you or your loved ones will need an ambulance,” Papa said. “There have been hunting accidents, 4X4-wheeler accidents and some hunters that come to the area for just a few days buy an ambulance membership to be prepared.”
The Ridgway Ambulance Corp., located at 120 N. Broad St., is having its annual membership drive until the end of March. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 February 2008 )
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