Dear residents of London Grove Township,

I’m posting today to bring to your attention a recent decision that beginning 1/1/2021 will present a life threatening situation on your residence and the community.  On 11/17/2020, the Board of Directors of the London Grove Township voted to move EMS services for its residents fully to West Grove Fire Company.  Prior to this decision, the Avondale Fire Company’s EMS division covered Emergency Medical and Fire calls east of Chatham road (in the northern end of LGT), and Auburn road (in the southern end of LGT).  This includes EMS and Fire calls to major developments such as The Hills of Sullivan and the “London Grove Village” shopping center.  Avondale’s EMS agency was dispatched on these calls because their location is closer than West Grove, and they can provide the primary rapid emergency response needed in a time of need. During the daytime, Avondale Fire Company staffed two ambulances with crews of 2 per Ambulance to be prepared to respond to Emergency calls.  This firehouse is located directly on Route 41 which allows them to access London Grove Township and the London Grove Village shopping center as rapidly as needed.  West Grove’s main station in the borough of West Grove is located further from the “response territory” previously covered by Avondale which poses a delay in response time to YOUR residence if YOU or YOUR FAMILY experience a medical emergency.  Additionally, West Grove’s main station currently only has the capacity for one ambulance to be staffed at it’s station.  The secondary ambulance operated by West Grove is staffed out of New London Township and is a 16 minute drive to the Village of London Grove rather than a 6 minute drive from Avondale’s station. This disbursement of EMS apparatus through West Grove’s district is ideal and works for them due to the size of their response territory, however, the geographic location of West Grove’ stations are not only not optimal but are extremely dangerous and pose a serious threat to the survival of patients going through a Medical Emergency.  In a case of Cardiac/Respiratory Arrest which is considered the most critical medical emergency, the patient only has 4 minutes without oxygen before permanent brain damage is encountered, and only 4 to 6 minutes before death becomes inevitable.  In a scenario of a Cardiac Arrest at a home in the Hills of Sullivan Development, an Ambulance taking 16 minutes to arrive on location is absolutely pointless for any life saving medical treatment.  It is unacceptable that London Grove Township decided to make this change knowingly putting lives at risk simply because they wanted to save money and only pay one agency.  The residents should not be content with a 16 minute response time to a medical emergency when there is a Licenced and Active EMS agency already located closer to the residence.  

The damage doesn’t end in what was once Avondale’s EMS response territory. This decision has a domino effect that will result in negative effects for our neighboring communities and townships.  In the commonly occurring scenario where there are multiple medical emergencies taking place throughout the area, imagine two medical emergencies taking place in Avondale’s London Grove Territory, but then a Medical Emergency occurs in Penn Township.  

In this situation, the Ambulance housed at the New London West Grove station is driving past a father in Cardiac Arrest at the Giant located in Jennersville to respond to a choking child at the Wawa in London Grove Township.  West Grove’s second ambulance is in West Chester transporting a patient to Chester County Hospital and is also unavailable.  In this situation, you would expect the West Grove ambulance to respond to Giant and the Avondale ambulance to respond to the Wawa.  This provides the fastest response and patient care. 

However, with the recent changes, West Grove will respond to the Avondale Wawa. and Avondale’s ambulance will be dispatched to cover West Grove in Penn Township. Now, both ambulances have passed each other on the way and both are taking an extended response time due to a decision that was made irresponsibly by London Grove Township.

If after reading all this, you’re wondering why you’re only hearing about this reckless decision AFTER it was made, it would be due to the fact that London Grove made the decision under the table and without public comment and notice.  Townships are required to publish notice of the meeting this decision was made at and accept public comment, however neither of these steps were taken. 

Residents of London Grove Township and community members,  it is prudent that you speak up and voice your concerns and disagreements with the reckless and life threatening decision that was made by London Grove Township.