West Penn Township needs more time before it commits to providing more funding to ambulance associations who assist in covering 911 calls in the township.

Representatives from Tamaqua Community Ambulance, Penn Mahoning and Mahoning Valley Ambulance Association attended the board of supervisors meeting earlier this month.

On Friday, board Chairman Tony Prudenti said that a representative from Tamaqua ambulance said that they did 70 calls in West Penn last year and were looking for some help.

Prudenti said, “We want to look into it a little more.”

“We didn’t commit to give them anything because we’d like to see what other municipalities do to give our fair share,” Prudenti said. “I’m not saying no, but I’m not saying yes, either.”

After the meeting, Paul Waddell Jr., assistant director of operations for Mahoning Valley Ambulance Association, said that Tamaqua and Mahoning Valley expressed concerns regarding finances due to assisting in covering 911 calls for West Penn.

“Right now, most EMS agencies are struggling with funding,” Waddell said after the meeting. “Grants aren’t plentiful for fuel and payroll expenses. Costs have all gone up as we all know.”

Waddell said after the meeting he believes the residents all have a right to know, and a say in how their tax dollars are spent.

“If an EMS tax is implemented, the municipalities can give that money to their EMS agency and help keep small ambulance companies alive while supplementing big ambulance companies,” he said. “We believe that if people know the full scope of the situation and understand that the tax isn’t a large sum of money per individual, that this tax could help save EMS and lives by preventing longer response times.”

Last Tuesday, representatives from Tamaqua Ambulance Association attended Coaldale’s Borough Council meeting to ask the borough to consider its support.

Tamaqua Ambulance Association serves the boroughs of Tamaqua and Coaldale, along with the townships of Rush, Schuylkill and Walker. It also provides mutual aid to West Penn and Ryan townships.