About Us

Mission Statement:

“To provide emergency and non-emergency medical services to our community with the highest quality of patient care and compassion.”

Vision Statement:

“We will be a respected leader in providing Emergency Medical Services while promoting our commitment to organizational growth and continued excellence.”

Bellefonte Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization proudly serving the heart of Central Pennsylvania. Licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health as a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance service, we operate three ambulances—staffing at least one unit 24/7 with a crew of two experienced Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

In addition to emergency care, we operate three PUC-licensed para-transit wheelchair vans, providing safe, reliable transportation for individuals who require wheelchair or stretcher service to and from medical appointments, rehabilitation sessions, or upon hospital discharge.

Our team includes more than 25 dedicated volunteers and 36 skilled career personnel serving the Boroughs of Bellefonte, Milesburg, and Unionville, as well as all or portions of Spring, Benner, Boggs, Marion, Howard, Union, and Huston Townships. We also respond beyond our borders when neighboring EMS agencies call for assistance. Our primary service area spans approximately 210 square miles of towns, farmland, and forest, home to a year-round population of about 20,000 residents.

With an annual operating budget of roughly $1.2 million (2024), Bellefonte EMS is funded primarily through third-party insurance reimbursement, patient billing, our annual subscription membership program, and generous community donations. Limited municipal or tax-based support makes up about 10% of our budget, while memberships account for about 7% of our annual revenue.

Bellefonte EMS is proud to be a member of the Ambulance Association of Pennsylvania, the American Ambulance Association, and the Centre County Ambulance Association.

Our History

Bellefonte EMS traces its roots back to 1949, when the Logan Fire Company purchased its first ambulance to serve the residents of Bellefonte. In those early days, volunteers had little more than basic first aid skills and minimal equipment. Over time, training improved, equipment evolved, and by the 1970s, Pennsylvania began offering some of the first Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) courses. The 1980s brought the end of the iconic Cadillac ambulances and the first Pennsylvania EMS Act, setting statewide standards for staffing, training, equipment, and vehicle design.

In 1994, Bellefonte EMS became an independent agency, allowing our volunteers and newly hired career staff to focus entirely on providing prompt, high-quality emergency medical care. As call volume grew beyond what volunteers alone could manage, career personnel became essential to meeting the community’s needs.

Our service area expanded again in 1997, when we began covering the communities once served by the Citizens Hook & Ladder Fire Company in Milesburg. Around the same time, we became the first agency providing non-emergency wheelchair van service to better serve the community need.  A year later, we moved into our current home on Phoenix Avenue—where we continue to serve Bellefonte and surrounding communities with pride.