Story by Amanda Fries of Spotlight PA

This story was produced by the Berks County Bureau of Spotlight PA , an independent, nonpartisan newsroom. Sign up for Good Day, Berks, a daily dose of essential local stories at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/gooddayberks .

As municipal leaders in Pennsylvania hold budget workshops for 2026, some have proposed or are considering a tax or other monetary payment to preserve emergency medical services in their communities.

Across the commonwealth, ambulance companies have folded or adjusted coverage areas to stay solvent, increasing response times and stoking fear over the future of EMS.

The crisis has been called out by EMS providers and highlighted in a study released last year that recommended more funding for Berks County’s EMS. Stil

See Full Page