The City of Warren has initiated legal action against Conewango Township in an effort to recover $13,500 in unpaid fees tied to emergency medical services provided over the past two years.

According to a news release from the city, the outstanding balance stems from 27 separate emergency responses carried out by the Warren Fire Department dating back to 2023. The city says it made multiple attempts to resolve the issue through meetings and proposed agreements, but those efforts failed to produce a resolution.

Under Pennsylvania law, municipalities are required to ensure emergency medical services are available to their residents, including providing appropriate financial support. However, provisions place responsibility on townships to fund and maintain such services, either directly or through contracts.

When a 911 call is placed, the Warren County 911 Center first dispatches the township’s designated EMS providers, which, in Conewango Township, are EmergyCare, Inc. and the Starbrick Volunteer Fire Department. However, gaps in coverage can frequently occur due to lack of volunteers or when EmergyCare units are already committed to other emergencies.

In those instances, the Warren Fire Department is dispatched to respond, providing ambulance services through its career staff, who are cross-trained in EMS. The news release states these situations do not qualify as traditional mutual aid, but rather reflect a failure of the township’s designated providers to maintain coverage.

“Mutual aid” typically involves additional assistance requested when local resources are already engaged. However, according to the news release, the city is routinely serving as the primary responder, and therefore should be compensated accordingly.

The City of Warren has continued responding to calls in Conewango Township to protect public health despite the lack of payment. The news release notes that other municipalities without formal agreements have paid for similar services at established rates.

A decline in volunteer firefighters has created ongoing challenges in emergency response coverage across the region. According to the news release, Warren’s EMS operations now cover a significant portion of Warren County, serving about 35% of its geographic area and roughly 60% of its population when including the city itself.

The news release describes this legal action as a last resort after repeated attempts to secure payment and negotiate an agreement.

“The taxpayers of the City of Warren should not be financially responsible for services that Conewango Township is obligated to provide,” the news release said, adding that their request is simply for fair compensation for services already rendered.

Warren officials stated they will continue with legal action within weeks if agreements are not made with Conewango Township.