Thanks to federal funding, the Cambria Community Healthcare District just got a million dollars closer to rebuilding their 24-hour ambulance station. A 2021 investigation found asbestos and lead paint chips in the 67 year old building.
One of the station’s EMTs, John Lisberg, said the building also has electrical and plumbing issues, especially with the washing machines they use to wash clothes and clean blood out of sheets.
“And heaven forbid somebody should accidentally run both washers at the same time—it’ll actually back up into our kitchen sink,” Lisberg said.
For 48 hours at a time, crews of paramedics and EMTs live at the ambulance station on Cambria’s Main Street. The closest hospital is 24 miles away.
Officials said they still need about 5.5 million dollars to fund the rebuild, and a measure that's expected to be on the November ballot could raise that money with local property taxes if it passes.
The measure needs two-thirds support to pass—in 2022, it failed with 61% support.
EMT’s at the station said replacing the building would lengthen their vehicle’s lifespans and improve conditions for the first responders that live there.
