Nov 15, 2016 By Luke Campbell 3 min read

Answering and responding to nearly 10,000 calls each year have been protocol for Medical Rescue Team South Authority.

It’s a protocol, mission and history of MRTSA that now extends four decades as the non-profit municipal authority, which provides emergency medical services to six communities in the South Hills, is celebrating 40 years of health care since organizing in 1976.

“You don’t get into EMS unless you want to do nothing but help people,” MRTSA Chief Todd Pritchard said. “It’s always a great feeling to be recognized for your efforts, but we fly under the radar because of patient privacy and confidentiality. All of our employees do great work. That’s the reason why we’ve touched thousands of lives.”

What started from a grant under the Pennsylvania Comprehensive Employment and Training Act that began operation with two ambulances and a staff of nine medics has expanded into 23 paramedics, 17 emergency medical technicians and the continued development and creation of other services to residents of Mt. Lebanon, Castle Shannon, Dormont, Green Tree, Baldwin Township and Whitehall.

Pritchard has been involved in MRTSA’s efforts for most of their existence, beginning in 1985 as a volunteer before being hired as a full-time paramedic two years later. His role with EMS service company extended to becoming a shift supervisor and operations manager, prior to his promotion to chief in 2007.

MRTSA is funded through the subscriptions and fees for service of its approximately 9,000 members, a marginal fee that Pritchard said is worth the expense with the continuous alterations of health care.

“Those members help keep us here,” Pritchard said. “With co-payments and deductibles continuing to increase in price, it’s definitely a reasonable and good cost-conscious decision to make.”

While times may have changed since being created, so has MRTSA, which also handles more than typical phone calls to residences.

The organization provides athletic medical standby coverage from midget to varsity football, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, wrestling, boxing and ice skating events. It offers an EMS Bike Team, which was formed in 2008, to provide assistance at events where large crowds that make access to other emergency vehicles difficult, and, an honor guard to provide public safety at funerals, parades and services.

“Any company that survives is willing to adapt,” Pritchard said. “We base our objectives and programs for the needs of the communities we serve. Another thing is that we’ve trained numerous amounts of people with different programs we conduct. The more people know really helps us when we arrive three or four minutes later and it also helps the patient buy some more time.”

MRTSA is supported by two representatives from each community to form a board of directors to continue to achieve its mission of providing preventative and dynamic health care services to create a seamless transition of their patients through the continuum of care.

It’s a goal that Pritchard knows won’t be widely talked about, often publicized or duly noted, but the recognition from others of the tireless response to emergencies in the South Hills is something he admits is special.

“It’s just a tremendous honor,” he said.