Our history
Wakefield Emergency Medical Services (Wakefield EMS) is a nonprofit, charitable organization committed to providing high-quality emergency medical care to the residents of southern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Founded in September 1973 by a group of concerned citizens and with the financial support of the Wakefield Lions Club, Wakefield EMS was established in direct response to a pressing need for timely, local emergency care—at a time when the nearest medical assistance came from Lancaster City, nearly 30 minutes away.
Our beginning 1974
Initially formed as an all-volunteer service, Wakefield EMS began operations in March 1974 with just 12 trained providers in First Aid and CPR, responding to nearly 100 emergencies in its first year. Licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health as a Basic Life Support (BLS) agency, Wakefield EMS remained entirely volunteer-run until the early 2000s, when it welcomed its first paid staff member to address growing service demands and nationwide declines in volunteerism.
A new chapter
A major milestone came in 2007 with the construction of Wakefield EMS’s first and only permanent ambulance station—a long-awaited and transformative step in the agency’s history. Committed to innovation and community engagement, Wakefield EMS became a recognized participant in Pennsylvania’s “Prepared for Pediatrics” initiative and launched its own “Good Neighbor Checks” program, which identifies high-risk individuals within the community and offers routine wellness visits to help prevent emergencies before they happen.
The start of something new
In July 2017, Wakefield EMS elevated its clinical capabilities by becoming the first BLS agency in Lancaster County—and one of only a dozen in the Commonwealth—to be licensed at the Intermediate Advanced Life Support (IALS) level. This allowed specially trained providers to administer additional medications and perform advanced procedures, significantly improving patient outcomes in critical situations.
