By Bill Rettew
Daily Local News
TREDYFFRIN, Pa. 鈥� In a bid to cut emergency response times, Paoli Fire Company opened a new EMS substation at the Echo Lake senior living community.
The partnership between the fire company and the senior living community will significantly reduce response times for both Echo Lake and surrounding neighborhoods.
The new Paoli Fire Company Emergency Medical Services substation opened Feb. 3 at the Echo Lake senior living community in Malvern and will significantly reduce response times to both Echo Lake and residential neighborhoods in northern Tredyffrin Township .
鈥淭he substation is a joint effort between Paoli Fire Company, which is staffing the station with a paramedic between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays, and Echo Lake, which is providing free office and parking space at 900 N. Atwater Drive, within the community鈥檚 wellness center,鈥� according to a release issued by the fire company.
鈥淧aoli Fire was already studying the need for an EMS substation when officials learned that a roadway improvement project will reduce a portion of Morehall Road from four lanes to two for about nine months,鈥� reads the release. 鈥淧aoli Fire Company Advanced Life Support Coordinator Timothy Wert estimated that resulting traffic delays would add up to ten minutes to response times beyond the construction zone, making the need for a substation more urgent.鈥�
The substation is a temporary solution for the time being until the road repairs are completed.
Wert said that the Echo Lake substation offers the perfect solution.
鈥淗aving a paramedic right here is going to significantly cut down the time between dispatch to care, and those minutes are really important,鈥� he said.
John Paylor has been living at the senior living community since 2021 with his wife of 56 years, Lee. He worked in the legal department at Conrail while the couple lived in Paoli .
鈥淗aving the EMS here is good for us because we are at the farthest extension of the Paoli Fire Company territory,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t took them a long time to get here and it saves the fire company a trip a day.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also a benefit for the neighboring communities as well.鈥�
Paylor displayed a fine sense of humor when talking about the hours when a paramedic would be available at the facility.
鈥淚鈥檝e made up my mind that I鈥檓 only going to fall between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. when the paramedic is here,鈥� he said, with a smile.
His wife Lee was reassured that a paramedic was nearby as a safety precaution.
Nicole Armstrong , is a BSW, CDP and the Wellness Navigator at Echo Lake .
鈥淧roviding peace of mind is one of our commitments to residents and their loved ones at Echo Lake ,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his substation is a tremendous addition to our community and wellness program and helps fulfill our promise of a carefree living environment.鈥�
Heather Kato is corporate director of marketing and communication for Safelife and thanked Armstrong.
鈥淣icole鈥檚 role as wellness navigator and social worker played an instrumental role in coordinating this partnership with Paoli Fire Company by initiating the conversation and offering the space,鈥� Kato said.
Echo Lake Senior Living is located at 900 N. Atwater Drive, in Malvern. There are currently 239 residents housed in 250 apartments. Independent and assisted living is offered, as well as memory care. Echo Lake has been open for five years.
The Echo Lake-based paramedic will utilize an SUV fully stocked with the medical equipment and supplies needed to immediately assess a patient鈥檚 condition and begin medical treatment. A transport ambulance will be simultaneously dispatched from the Paoli fire station in case the patient needs to be taken to the hospital, according to the release.
The substation will also enable Paoli Fire Company to provide faster mutual aid response to East Whiteland, Charlestown, and Schuylkill townships when assistance is needed.
鈥淭his substation will be an important part of the care we provide to a large portion of our coverage area,鈥� said Paoli Fire Chief Andrea Testa. 鈥淭hanks to Echo Lake, we can do this without taking on additional real estate costs.鈥�
Armstrong: 鈥淲e are thrilled this partnership worked out. It is a win-win-win for Paoli Fire Company, Echo Lake, and the entire community.鈥�
Ron Knabb has lived at Echo Lake for more than four years. The former Gladwyne /Main Line resident was an architect who designed Veterans Stadium and several churches.
He suffered from a stroke and said the care he received from the first responders was 鈥渢op notch.鈥�
鈥淭hey saved my life and my brain,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey were here in a flash.
鈥淭hey knew absolutely what the 鈥榟eck鈥� they were doing.鈥�
Paoli Fire Company鈥檚 team of career firefighter/paramedics and volunteer firefighters, EMTs, fire police, junior firefighters, and non-emergency volunteers work together to serve portions of Tredyffrin , Easttown , and Willistown townships as their primary EMS and fire company. Headquartered at 69 Darby Road in Paoli, PA , Paoli Fire Company is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. The fire company has been a Neighbor Helping Neighbor since 1909.
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