It’s 1970 in Slippery Rock. Or most anywhere in America for that matter. Grandpa takes a nasty tumble down the stairs and needs medical attention.

Call 911. Emergency medical services will be there with an ambulance to help in a few minutes.

If only it had been that easy. Emergency medical services weren’t available 53 years ago.

It’s hard to imagine a time when you couldn’t pick up the phone and get the help you need in an emergency. But many of our older county residents likely could tell you a harrowing story about the time before 911 and EMS.

On Saturday, the Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company and Rescue Team and EMS personnel celebrated 50 years since the creation of its EMS service.

Since the service was implemented in 1974, eight medical commanders have sat at the helm of the operation, and all were present to celebrate the momentous occasion Saturday.

Imagine, the very first person to ever command the Slippery Rock EMS team was at a dinner honoring the longevity of the organization.

This is not to say the commander is old. This is to say the organization, in the grand scheme of history, is still very very young. But it’s still among the oldest in the area.

“Historically when you look back at it, Pittsburgh’s EMS started in 1975,” according to Rob McLafferty, Butler County’s 911 coordinator. “EMS was just getting started in the country … It was brand new. I’m not aware of anyone else in our area who’s done this.”

The Slippery Rock service was started after several incidents in the 1970s that resulted in delayed patient emergency care. Today, the ambulance service always has a paid staff member on call, according to Steve Elliott, the current medical officer for the service.

In 2023, EMS responded to a record 1,514 calls. In 1973, those 1,514 would-be callers likely would have had very different outcomes.

And aside from police-specific emergencies, 911 calls in Slippery Rock for EMS, fire or rescue would likely yield you the same faces.

“It’s not fire department and ambulance service … we’re a team,” said Chief Ryan Hanchosky. “There’s some times I feel I’m on the ambulance more than the fire truck … but as I always say, we’re a team … We’re celebrating 50 years and other places are shutting down, which is sad,” he said.

“I’ve seen others in the area close due to funding, increased costs, manpower issues,” he said.

McLafferty said the 50-year milestone met by Slippery Rock’s EMS service was impressive, and the sentiment was shared by Steve Elliott, the current medical officer for the service.

He remarked how difficult it is to keep an EMS service running.

“I’ve seen others in the area close due to funding, increased costs, manpower issues,” he said.

Imagine it’s the year 2030, grandpa takes a tragic tumble down the stairs and needs emergency medical attention. You call 911, will they say sorry, there’s no EMS available because of funding cuts or manpower issues?

Here’s hoping for another 500 years for Slippery Rock’s EMS. And here’s to expanded and improved EMS, fire, police and rescue services countywide.

— RJ