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BELLEFONTE -- The Centre County Board of Commissioners announced the county was awarded a $300,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant to construct a new 9,350 square foot Moshannon Valley EMS (MVEMS) ambulance and training headquarters in Rush Township.
The training center will be constructed at the site of the former Philipsburg Area Hospital, which closed in 1991. Since the closing of the former hospital, the need for a centrally located facility has only increased, according to a release from the board.
This new training headquarters will enable MVEMS to meet a critical need for the training center in Centre County. MVEMS covers rural portions of three counties and currently covers approximately 732.4 square miles.
The new training center will include a large training facility where MVEMS will host trainings to support their operations as well as other organizations and garage space, for a total of eight ambulances. The training center will also help to generate and recruit EMS personnel as well as create additional jobs in the future, the release said.
At least 10 new jobs will be created along with retaining 35 existing jobs.
Annually, approximately 60 emergency medical services personnel will receive training at this new headquarters. With more training opportunities, the number of EMS personnel will increase, which there is an immediate need for, especially in the rural community.
"Rural Pennsylvanians should feel safe knowing there are enough well-trained medical first responders ready to deliver critical, lifesaving care whenever there is a crisis," Senator Bob Casey said. "This grant will help ensure that the Moshannon Valley continues to have critical emergency medical services and will improve MVEMS's capacity to train and support other medical first responders throughout rural Central Pennsylvania."
The Appalachian Region Commission (ARC) is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments including Pennsylvania.
PA's Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) partners with ARC to identify and support projects that will build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in the Appalachian counties of Pennsylvania to reach socioeconomic parity with the nation.
SEDA-COG is a community and economic development agency in Lewisburg and is one of seven Local Development Districts in Pennsylvania.
SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in the 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG's Betsy Lockwood, Director of Project Development and Grants, submitted the ARC application on behalf of the County and MVEMS.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this notice, please feel free to contact the commissioners' Office at 814-355-6700.