Takac delivers $300,000 to help Snow Shoe EMS focus on saving lives rather than fundraising for new ambulance
Funding is in addition to the $141,838 announced earlier in the week for the EMS organization
Rep. Paul Takac October 24, 2024 | 12:45 PM
SNOW SHOE, Oct. 24 – State Rep. Paul Takac today announced the awarding of a $300,000 state grant he obtained for Snow Shoe EMS, which will be used to purchase an ambulance.
“Snow Shoe EMS covers a service area of 171 square miles, including a long stretch of Interstate 80 running through a rural area that is prone to accidents, especially in bad weather, so when an opportunity presented itself to help the EMS agency continue to aid residents and travelers alike on the Mountaintop, I was glad to help,” said Takac, D-Centre. “As the proud father of a paramedic, I know the vital role that EMS plays in supporting the health and wellbeing of our community – they support us, and we must support them.”
Sharon Nilson, Snow Shoe EMS chief, said, "This $300,000 DCED grant we received will help us provide emergency medical services to our community and visitors. Without this grant it would be nearly impossible for us to be able to afford a new ambulance, which can cost up to $280,000 without equipment or a litter system. That’s a lot of time spent fundraising; now that time can be spent on training our personnel to provide emergency care.
“Being a small rural EMS company, we are often overlooked for grants and help; Representative Paul Takac has been working with us diligently for over a year to obtain grant money. Without the help from him and his staff we would never have been able to obtain this grant for our service,” she said.
Rodney Preslovich, Chair of Snow Shoe Township Board of Supervisors, agreed. "This funding really strengthens our community and adds to Representative Takac's proven track record of helping local organizations and supporting first responders on the Mountaintop. We appreciate his continued support and presence in our area,” he said.
The special grant award was made possible by federal American Rescue Plan dollars through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. This $300,000 is separate from the recent $141,838 in grant funding announced Tuesday for Snow Shoe EMS, and the more than $1 million in funding for public safety and infrastructure on the Mountaintop and Bald Eagle Valley.