Perry Hi-Way Hose Company must participate in Erie County's countywide response plan or provide EMS coverage 24 hours per day, seven days per week, according to the state.

It comes after the fire department provided notice that it plans to discontinue providing mutual aid ambulance service to neighboring municipalities starting May 1.

The response came in an April 3 letter from the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services.

The letter said an EMS agency can request that a specific area not be designated as its primary coverage area, but it doesn't mean it will not be dispatched as primary if needed.

Officials told Perry Hi-Way to collaborate with the county to update its dispatch protocols and said operating guidelines require EMS agencies to respond, even for mutual aid.

Letter sent to Perry Hi-Way