Emergency Care
WHEMS
provides
emergency
care and
services to
Woodland
Hills and
surrounding
area
residents.
BY NICOLE TAFE
42 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Woodland Hills
A
nswering more than 3,600
calls per year, Woodland Hills
Emergency Medical Service
(WHEMS) has been a pillar in
the communities it serves.
WHEMS is a fully licensed Advanced Life
Support (ALS) ambulance service provided
through the PA Department of Health, and
is stationed in Forest Hills Borough behind
the Forest Hills Police and Fire Departments.
With more than 25 employees who staff
three ALS ambulances, WHEMS serves
Forest Hills Borough, Wilkins Township,
Churchill Borough, Braddock Hills Borough
and Chalfant Borough while providing
backup services for Wilkinsburg, Swissvale,
Edgewood, North Braddock and Penn Hills
boroughs.
WHEMS was formed in 2000 with the
merger of Forest Hills/Chalfant Rescue 8
(FHCR8) and Wilkins/Churchill Rescue 1
(WCR1), both of which were initiated in the
early 1970s. It has been a chartered 501(c)
(3) organization since it was formed and, with
this status, the organization is recognized as
a tax exempt charitable organization. This
allows the company to receive tax-deductible
donations from the public and outside sources
for the purchase of life-saving equipment and
medical supplies, training for its employees
and overall operational expenses. This
training, as well as the equipment and supplies
purchased, has allowed WHEMS to give back
to the communities through CPR and First
Aid training classes and various safety events
while also providing emergency care.
WHEMS primarily provides emergency
9-1-1 responses for ill and injured patients. If
a medical emergency takes place or someone
is injured and calls 9-1-1, WHEMS will
be dispatched by the county to the call in
its response areas. Secondarily, WHEMS
will provide non-emergency transport for
residents within the primary response area on
an as-requested, if available, fee-for-service
basis.
“WHEMS strives to provide the highest
available level of quality emergency care to
residents throughout the communities it
serves,” says Susan Barry, WHEMS treasurer
and board member. “WHEMS has an ALS
unit on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
365 days a year.”
The organization provides fast, efficient and
highly skilled emergency response with the
benefit of local understanding to its patients.
Additionally, WHEMS participates in various
community events including community
days, church festivals, special events and
holiday gatherings and activities.
Frank Mastandrea is WHEMS’ Director of
Operations and is responsible for carrying out