News

A picture of an ambulance with MESA branding.

in Community, Government

Municipal Emergency Services Authority of Lancaster County to Begin Providing 911 EMS Ambulance Service

Publicly funded municipal authority to replace Northwest EMS

After a two-year process of study, public meetings and planning, the Municipal Emergency Services Authority of Lancaster County (MESA; pronounced māy-sah) on Feb. 4 will begin providing 911 emergency medical ambulances services in Northwest Lancaster County previously provided by Northwest EMS. MESA is a first-of-its-kind regional municipal authority in Pennsylvania formed to address the region’s emergency medical services crisis.

Like so many EMS agencies, Northwest EMS was facing insolvency due to insufficient revenue and rising costs. MESA is a new publicly funded municipal authority formed to replace Northwest EMS and ensure that 911 ambulance service is available to member municipalities on a sustainable basis. MESA’s founding member municipalities are Conoy Township, East Donegal Township, Elizabethtown Borough, Marietta Borough, Mount Joy Township and West Donegal Township.

“Municipalities are responsible for many things including recreation facilities, police services, stormwater management and snow removal to name a few,” said MESA Board Chair Debra Dupler. “In Pennsylvania, municipalities are also required by law to ensure the provision of emergency medical services. In the tradition of Northwest EMS, MESA looks forward to continuing to provide outstanding 911 EMS service and 24/7 readiness to respond to EMS calls in the region.”

Unlike ambulance agencies that generate revenue through voluntary contributions, which leaves them deeply underfunded, MESA will charge property owners and employers in member municipalities a mandatory annual fee to fund its operations and ensure 24/7 readiness to respond to EMS calls. The first annual fee bills to property owners and employers will be arriving by mail in mid-February.

Benefits to residents of MESA member municipalities include: No residual bills for EMS services if the patient’s insurance pays; 50 percent off EMS bills if the patient does not have insurance coverage; and 50 percent off EMS bills if the patient’s payment applies to an insurance deductible.

“Northwest EMS is tremendously grateful for the community’s partnership through the years,” said Scott Kingsboro, authority manager for MESA and formerly executive director of Northwest EMS. “We look forward to serving the community with the same outstanding service for which Northwest EMS is known as we proudly wear a new uniform. And just as it was for Northwest EMS, health and safety education and community outreach events will continue to be an important part of our mission.”

For more information about MESA including frequently asked questions, visit mesalancasterpa.gov.

in Community

MESA Responding to About 20 Service Calls Daily

Since the Municipal Emergency Services Authority of Lancaster County (MESA) began operating in February 2024, it has responded to over 4,530 911 EMS calls. That’s a rate of almost 20 service calls every day.

On average, MESA responds to dispatch calls in 1 minute and 31 seconds (well below the industry standard of under 2 minutes). MESA’s average time from dispatch to arrival on-scene is 7 minutes and 51 seconds (well below the industry standard of under 10 minutes).

This exceptional level of emergency response for our community is made possible by public funding and by MESA’s dedicated EMTs, paramedics and operations professionals.

“Each and every MESA team member knows the vital importance of the work they do,” said MESA Authority Manager Wade Amick. “We take tremendous pride in responding to calls as rapidly and safely as possible and to providing the highest level of service when we arrive.”

CPR and First Aid Classes Available

Thankfully, MESA is ready to respond 24/7 when you, a loved one or a neighbor needs EMS. Still, learning CPR and first aid can equip you with your own skills that can save a life in your community.

  • CPR can triple the chance of survival when applied by a trained bystander
  • First aid techniques in the event of a person choking can prevent suffocation
  • Knowing how to apply first aid in the event of injuries involving bleeding, fractures or burns can significantly reduce the risk of complications and improve recovery

MESA provides free hand-only CPR training for the public. Hands-only CPR is an easy-to-learn skill that can save a person experiencing cardiac arrest. It involves calling 911, sending someone for an automated external defibrillator (AED) if available and then giving continuous chest compressions.

MESA also offers free “Stop the Bleed” first aid classes for the public. The class teaches how to respond to a variety of medical emergencies including situations involving bleeding and trauma.

Follow MESA on Facebook for class dates or contact Suzette Kreider at skreider@mesalancasterpa.gov or 717-361-8220 ext. 107 to schedule a class especially for your community group.

Join the MESA Team

MESA is also a great place to work! MESA offers full-time and part-time employment opportunities for paramedics, EMTs, EMS administrators and non-medical professionals in a welcoming and family-like environment with competitive pay, benefits and time-off.

For more information about MESA and career opportunities, visit mesalancasterpa.gov.

in Road Work

Upcoming Road Work

MOUNT JOY TOWNSHIP ROAD WORK

Friday, October 11, 2024 – TRAIL ROAD N.  Will be closed for paving, from Harvest Road to Milton Grove Road.

Week of October 14, 2024 – LINE PAINTING.  Please watch for wet paint!

All work will be done weather permitting!

Please drive safely.

in Community, Development, Government

Route 230/Cloverleaf Road Shopping Center Project (Pennmark/E-town Mount Joy Assoc., L.P.)

Elizabethtown Mount Joy Associates, L.P. (Pennmark) is proposing the development of a ~111,350-sf. shopping center including vehicular fueling pumps accessory to a convenience store. The 22.12-acre site is generally located at the northeast corner of the Route 230/Cloverleaf Road intersection.

Next Public Meeting:

Special Exception Hearing – Zoning Hearing Board (July 30, 2024 @ 6:00 p.m.) / Draft Minutes

Hearing closed at the July 30, 2024 ZHB meeting. Approval granted 9/4/2024

Exhibits filed at the July 30, 2024 ZHB meeting:

A-1 – Property Deed

A-2 – Zoning Hearing Application – Cover Letter – Addendum

A-3 – Aerial Photo

A-4 – Site Plan

A-5 – Lighting Plan

A-6 – Landscape Plan

A-7 – Mass Transit Consistency Letter

A-8 – Compliance Details

A-9 – Streetscape Details

A-10 – Architectural Elevation

A-11 – Wawa Elevation

A-12 – Aldi Elevation

A-13 – Letter to Zoning Officer Supplementing Application

A-14 – Settlement Agreement & Stipulated Conditions

A-15 – Traffic Impact Study (rev. March 2023)

A-16 – Todd E. Smeigh P.E., C.V.

A-17 – Gregory E. Creasy P.E., C.V.

A-18 – Sewer Service Agreement

A-19 – Water Service Agreement

A-20 – Lancaster Civil Review Letter

July 30, 2024 ZHB Meeting Agenda

Meeting Scheduling Letter

Case #240008 Application

Case #240008 Addendum & Exhibits

in Community

Regional Comprehensive Plan Update

Final version of the Regional Comprehensive Plan (PDF) available for download here.  

Public Meeting For the Regional Comprehensive Plan:  6:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at the Masonic Conference Center Patton Campus (1244 Bainbridge Road, Elizabethtown). Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

With the help of the Lancaster County Planning Department (LCPD), Mount Joy Township is updating its Comprehensive Plan through a regional planning effort. The 2010 Regional Strategic Plan for Elizabethtown Borough and the Townships of Conoy, Mount Joy, and West Donegal was adopted as our Comprehensive Plan.

The update process was kicked off by rebooting last year’s public opinion survey in early 2023. Redistributing the survey paid off, returning around 360 responses through mid-May as opposed to just 50 received in 2022. You can view the public survey findings summary and survey comments matrix by clicking the links. Notes from the April 12, 2023 Regional Elected Officials Meeting also provide feedback gained from the public at large and elected officials that evening.

LCPD kicked off our region’s process by working with our 2010 Regional Plan and Lancaster County’s Places2040 to create a framework for an implementable comp plan versus an encyclopedic document with an extensive list of tasks to complete. The goal is to identify key strategic issues to explore and develop impactful action items to implement.

2023 Comp Plan Working Documents

Mount Joy Township Update Review Committee 

A local committee has been created to review the draft plan, provide feedback, and develop strategies to implement the key objectives. The committee meetings are scheduled for 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Public Meeting Room on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, June 6th
  • Wednesday, June 28th
  • Monday, July 31st

in Community

EAWA – Rain Barrel Sale

The Elizabethtown Area Water Authority is holding their Annual Rain Barrel Sale now through May 2, 2024 for residents in Elizabethtown Borough, Mount Joy Township and West Donegal Township. The cost is $85.00, and MUST be paid at time of order.  Details are on their website (www.etown-water.com) under “Special Announcements”. The rain barrel is on display in their lobby.

in Community

Penn Waste – Collection Update

Tuesday, February 13, 2024 – Due to inclement weather, all Penn Waste routes will not be operating on February 13. They will be operating on a holiday schedule for the remainder of the week. Tuesday customers’ materials will be collected on Wednesday. Wednesday customers’ materials will be collected on Thursday, and so on through the remainder of the week through Saturday. We apologize for any issues this may cause. Penn Waste, Inc. made this decision for the safety of the public and their crews. Normal operations will resume starting next week.

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