(3/10) On March 3, Adams Regional Emergency Medical Services, Inc. (AREMS) officially took over services for Fairfield Fire & EMS. Back in October it was announced that AREMS and Fairfield Fire & EMS would merge their ambulance services together. Although the decision was incredibly difficult for members of Fairfield’s EMS department, they are confident that this decision is the best for the community moving forward. This merger will ensure that Fairfield area has continuous and uninterrupted EMS coverage.

For years, Fairfield EMS has been operating with a mixture of paid staff and volunteers, however, with this merger, at least one ambulance will be housed at the Fairfield fire station with two full-time paid staff members on duty 24 hours per day, seven days a week. AREMS will be paying a monthly fee to house their ambulances and to have sleeping quarters. Geographical coverage will remain the same, as Fairfield EMS will continue to cover Fairfield, Carroll Valley, and parts of Hamiltonban, Liberty and Highland townships.

Additionally, by moving forward with this merger, EMS service to this part of Adams County has been upgraded to a MICU. With this upgrade in place, a paramedic will be on board the ambulances coming out of Fairfield’s department, and can provide advanced life support. AREMS will also be able to provide a better network for volunteer training, because through this merger, volunteers can be trained for free.

If you are a current member of the Fairfield ambulance service, you will automatically become a member of AREMS at no additional cost for the remainder of the season. In June of this year all members will receive a letter to sign up for AREMS services at an approximate cost of $70-$75 per family. This is close to a $20-$25 increase from the Fairfield EMS membership before. The difference in cost can be attributed to the addition of paramedic services now available.

The merger of AREMS and Fairfield Fire & EMS is a proactive move to guarantee continued ambulance service before coverage becomes a desperate issue, and is supported by all surrounding municipalities.