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Marple Township Ambulance Corps’ New Home Handling Today’s Demands and Future EMS Needs Written by Holly Stupak
MTAC’s new facility, photo courtesy of MTAC
Set for pilot of TV series The Paramedic Angel Photo courtesy of MODA Photography
EMS… one mission… one team Photo courtesy of MTAC
L-R: Andrew Tucker, Delaware County DA Jack Stollsteimer, State Rep. Jen O’Mara and William Downey Photo courtesy of MTAC
In September, the Marple Township Ambulance Corps (MTAC) moved into its brand-new, bigger, state-of-the-art headquarters on Malin Rd, across from the Broomall Firehouse. Designed by Bernardon, the same architecture firm that designed the new Broomall firehouse, the new MTAC facility can accommodate more emergency vehicles and helps the MTAC be prepared to handle today’s demands as well as future needs. Since the MTAC was formed in 1949, they’ve had four locations. They were first headquartered on West Chester Pike, in the area where John’s Auto Body is now, and the first ambulance was stored in a building owned by George Parker, Sr., one of MTAC’s founding members. In 1960, to keep up with the community’s growing need for emergency service, they moved to the building on Sproul Rd at Harding Rd. In the 1980s, that building was structurally reinforced to accommodate larger and heavier vehicles, and then it underwent structural changes again in 1995. As Marple Township’s population grew, so did the need for storage of medical supplies, ambulances, rescue vehicles, and space to train Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). “We’ve been wanting to move to the Malin Rd location for 20 years,” said Andrew Tucker, Deputy Chief of Operations. “Thanks to an additional grant from the state, we were able to make it happen this year. Construction was delayed a bit due to the pandemic, but it was finally ready for us to move into in September. We are looking forward to hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Spring 2021.” Under the leadership of MTAC Board President Thomas Gorski and Chief of Operations William Downey, the MTAC has 80% career paramedics/EMTs and 20% volunteers. They are a unique corps because even though they work and train with volunteers of the Broomall Fire
Company, they’re one of the two volunteer ambulance associations in the county not affiliated with a fire company. Shortly after they moved to their new facility, the MTAC acquired NARC-ID, a cutting-edge portable narcotic safe system that helps EMTs keep safe and secure the medications that they carry for pain or sedation. “This new tool will help keep secure Class 2, 3 and 4 medications that are stocked in both the building and in the ambulances,” said Andrew. “We’re thankful to State Rep. Jen O’Mara and the District Attorney’s office, whose grant money allowed us to make this purchase,” Andrew added. The MTAC was also one of several local fire and EMS organizations who received state funding through Act 26. The $15,048 grant they received in October can be used for operational and equipment expenses to help offset the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Since April, we’ve responded to over 300 calls from patients with COVID-related symptoms, and about 62% have been positive virus cases.
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