Plum EMS shows off new equipment

The Plum Emergency Medical Service has put some of its new tax revenue toward better life-saving equipment.

A portion of a one-mill tax increase approved this year was used to create an EMS fund.

The inaugural contribution to the ambulance company's fund was $500,000.

The first spending was on leases for cardiopulmonary resuscitation machines, power stretchers and radios to improve communication with emergency responders in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.

Officials demonstrated the equipment at a council meeting and at EMS headquarters in Plum's Renton neighborhood last month, including the machines that perform CPR and allow emergency medical technicians to do other work during an emergency.

“These save lives,” said EMT Gene Bisceglia about the CPR machines. “This frees up a set of hands.”

The CPR machines arrived in January and have already been put to use twice, EMS Operations Director Chris Hendershot said.

Other machines at the demonstration were the four battery-powered stretchers, which can be raised and lowered by pushing a button and are equipped with lighting for use in evening and traffic-related calls.

Borough Manager Mike Thomas said the items were purchased through a five-year lease-to-own agreement at roughly $40,000 per year.

He and other EMS staff said the department tried unsuccessfully for years to obtain federal grants to purchase equipment before the new tax was levied.

Michael DiVittorio is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-817-2367 or mdivittorio@tribweb.com.