06/12/2026
A Message to Our Community About EMS Response and "Stacked" Calls
At Cameron County Ambulance Service, our mission is to provide safe, timely, and compassionate care to every person who calls 911. We understand that waiting for an ambulance can be stressful, and we want to help our community better understand what happens when multiple calls occur at the same time.
In Pennsylvania, EMS agencies operate under regulations established by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. When a service is already committed to an emergency response, it is permissible for certain non-emergent calls, such as those categorized through the Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) system as ALPHA-level responses, to be temporarily delayed or "stacked" until a crew becomes available. This process is not taken lightly and is used to ensure that the most critical patients receive immediate care.
CCAS staffs one fully equipped ambulance crew 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. When additional calls are received while that crew is already responding to an emergency, we activate off-duty personnel to help provide coverage. However, many of our off-duty EMTs and Advanced EMTs also work full-time jobs elsewhere, which means they may not always be immediately available to respond.
Whenever possible, turning a call over to a neighboring ambulance service is the preferred option, as it helps ensure that patients receive the quickest response available while maintaining emergency coverage within the county. However, this is not always feasible. Neighboring services may already be committed to other emergencies, transporting patients to hospitals, experiencing staffing shortages of their own, or responding from a significant distance away. In rural areas, the nearest available ambulance may be many miles from the patient, resulting in a response time that is no different—or sometimes longer—than waiting for the local crew to clear from an existing emergency call. Each situation is evaluated individually to determine the safest and most appropriate course of action for the patient and the community.
These situations highlight the ongoing challenges facing rural EMS systems across Pennsylvania and throughout the nation. Unlike many people realize, ambulance services are not fully funded by tax dollars. EMS agencies depend heavily on reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies. Unfortunately, these reimbursement rates often fall well below the actual cost of providing emergency medical services. The result is that many rural ambulance services struggle to recruit and retain providers and cannot afford to staff multiple ambulances around the clock.
Despite these challenges, our crews remain committed to serving Cameron County with professionalism and dedication. Every decision made regarding ambulance deployment is based on patient need, available resources, and established protocols designed to provide the greatest benefit to the community as a whole.
We ask for your understanding and support as we continue working to strengthen EMS services in our area. Rural EMS providers are your neighbors, friends, and family members. They answer calls at all hours, often balancing other careers and personal responsibilities, because they are committed to helping others during their time of need.
Thank you for trusting Cameron County Ambulance Service. We remain dedicated to providing the highest level of care possible for our community, and we will continue advocating for the resources necessary to ensure the future of rural EMS.
Rural EMS is an essential service. Supporting it today helps ensure it will be there tomorrow.
– Cameron County Ambulance Service
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