"We are at a crisis in the Commonwealth, but we are not at a crisis here in Cranberry Township because of the planning that we've done over the last two years," Board of Supervisors Chairman Bruce Hezlep said on October 29, as reported by the Cranberry Eagle. The paper reported that he also put the number of Pennsylvania EMS agencies that closed from insolvency this year at roughly 15 to 20.
At the same meeting, supervisors voted 5-0 to advertise a hearing and their intent to adopt an ordinance creating an Emergency Services Authority. The board will take up the question at its December 10 meeting, per the township's announcement. If the authority is formed, it would set a mandatory EMS fee. For more than four decades, Cranberry Township EMS has raised its money one voluntary household membership at a time. The authority would change that.
What the 2027 Subscription Still Buys
Cranberry Township EMS, known as CTEMS, is an independent nonprofit. On its own site, it says its services are not funded by taxes and that it depends heavily on donations and subscriptions, with little public help. The 2027 subscription program, effective January 1, 2027, is still voluntary. Its terms say that whether you join has no effect on anyone's access to emergency care.
The subscription page lists three tiers:
- Family, $69: covers all permanent residents of the home
- Individual, $59: covers only the person who fills out the form
- Senior Citizen, $49: covers an individual or couple age 62 or older, plus any other permanent residents of that household
CTEMS bills the patient's insurance first. After insurance pays, the subscription takes 50% off the patient's remaining balance. You can use it as many times as needed during the year. CTEMS says charges for non-subscribers can often exceed $600 per trip, and the program is open only to people with health insurance. Neighboring EMS agencies also honor the subscription through a reciprocal agreement.
The program is a discount on your own future bill. It does nothing to cover the cost of keeping an ambulance staffed for a call that may never come, and that cost is what the authority proposal is about.
The Cost of an Ambulance Waiting to Be Called
CTEMS serves Cranberry Township, Seven Fields and southeastern New Sewickley Township, about 35,000 residents across the three. It keeps two advanced-life-support units running around the clock and adds a third during peak hours, according to a May report in the Butler Eagle. Those units have to be ready at 3 a.m. whether or not anyone calls, and ambulance billing only brings in money when someone does call.
The Butler Eagle reported in February on a regional study completed in October 2025. The study found that subscriptions, fundraising and insurance billing together fall short of the full cost of 24/7 readiness, which it described as substantially underfunded. It recommended a governance body shared by several municipalities and a consistent funding plan. About 90% of survey participants backed the goal of consistent, reliable EMS funding. The same report noted that Cranberry has no dedicated EMS tax. The township supports CTEMS in kind, with fuel, fleet maintenance and IT services.
At a Cranberry Conversations session in July, EMS consultant J.R. Henry walked through the pressures. Volunteer numbers are falling, agencies rely more on paid staff, technology costs more, EMS pay is low compared with other public-service jobs, and the average EMS career lasts about five years, according to the Butler Eagle's account. The Cranberry Eagle reported that Henry called a municipal fee the "best option" among the solutions considered.
CTEMS Chief Matt Nickl put a number on what the authority is meant to raise. He told the Butler Eagle the concept aimed to bring in $700,000 a year from participating municipalities to cover operating and capital costs.
Seven Fields Already Put EMS in Its Budget
The first change in the CTEMS map comes before Cranberry's hearing results take effect. CTEMS has served Seven Fields since 1983. On January 1, 2027, the borough switches to a different provider. Borough council voted 4-0 on August 10 to sign a three-year agreement, with a fourth-year option, with Quality EMS, a Mars-based nonprofit, as reported by the Butler Eagle. The borough's financial support comes to $35 per household. Borough Manager Tom Smith said the borough would absorb that cost for fiscal 2027 "and a foreseeable future for as long as we possibly can."
At that meeting, Quality EMS Executive Director Keith Singleton described the gap every agency in the region is trying to close. He said the average call costs $550 to run and brings in an average reimbursement of $340. He also noted that under Pennsylvania law, municipalities are expected both to appoint an EMS provider and to help fund it. Smith reported 139 EMS calls in Seven Fields in 2023, 96 in 2024 and 109 in 2025.
Seven Fields was one of the three communities in the financial model for Cranberry's proposed authority. Robb Consulting delivered a three-year projection on April 6 that included Cranberry Township, Seven Fields and New Sewickley Township. With Seven Fields moving to Quality EMS, Cranberry households and businesses will make up a larger share of whatever the authority needs to raise.
How Other Pennsylvania Communities Bill for EMS
An authority with a mandatory fee is new for Cranberry, but other Pennsylvania communities already use the model. These are the closest examples:
| Community or agency | How EMS is funded | Figure published |
|---|---|---|
| Cranberry Township EMS, 2027 | Voluntary subscription plus insurance billing and donations | $69 family, $59 individual, $49 senior |
| Seven Fields with Quality EMS, from Jan. 1, 2027 | Borough contribution from its budget | $35 per household |
| Ross/West View EMS Authority | Annual fee per household; landlords split it by unit | $55 per household or unit |
| Municipal Emergency Services Authority, Lancaster County | Mandatory annual fee billed to property owners in six municipalities | Set by published 2026 fee schedule |
| Alle-Kiski Emergency Services Authority | Insurance, grants and a planned annual readiness fee | Fee structure not yet final |
The Lancaster County authority, MESA, bases its fees on past EMS call volume by occupancy classification, plus county parcel and tax data and municipal data. The Ross/West View EMS Authority bills $55 per household, and owners of multifamily buildings pass it along at $55 per unit. The Alle-Kiski Emergency Services Authority was formed by Brackenridge, Harrison Township and Tarentum. It plans to combine insurance reimbursements and grants with an annual readiness fee.
Each of these sets its rate in a different way. Cranberry's authority will make that choice for itself after it forms.
What Happens Next
According to the Cranberry Eagle, Township Manager Dan Santoro said it is too early to say when a fee would take effect or how much residents would be charged. The steps already set are these:
- October 29: Supervisors vote 5-0 to advertise the hearing and their intent to adopt the authority ordinance.
- December 10: The Board of Supervisors holds the public hearing and considers forming the authority.
- January 1, 2027: Quality EMS takes over in Seven Fields, and CTEMS's voluntary 2027 subscription terms take effect.
- January 2027: If formed, the authority begins meeting to set the fee. Santoro said the October 29 vote starts the process of creating the authority and appointing its board members.
This means the 2027 subscription and the authority's fee-setting meetings will run during the same year. A $69 family membership covers subscribers for the 2027 subscription period CTEMS sets. Subscription fees are generally nonrefundable once a membership takes effect. Any fee the authority later adopts will come out of public meetings of the new board. Residents who want to be heard on the authority itself can speak at the December 10 supervisors' meeting.
This post is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm how any subscription or future fee applies to your household with CTEMS, the township or your own advisor.
If you own a home or business in Cranberry, an EMS fee would be one more line in your yearly costs, and buyers will ask about it as soon as it's set. The Slivka / Reilley Team follows Cranberry Township decisions like this one so our clients' numbers stay current. Start with an Instant Home Valuation, and we'll keep you posted on what the authority decides after December 10.
