Upper Bucks Regional EMS Urges Residents and Businesses to Save on Emergency Costs
Source: Upper Bucks Regional EMS
BUCKS COUNTY & REVERE, PA—When someone in Upper Bucks is injured miles from the nearest paved road or cell signal, Upper Bucks Regional EMS (UBREMS) is the medical team that shows up. For more than 70 years, UPREMS has been a vital and trusted lifeline, providing advanced life support and emergency transport for nine Bucks County municipalities.
Serving a 112-square-mile region that includes Springfield, Bedminster, Tinicum, Nockamixon, and six other municipalities, UBREMS responds to over 1,600 calls annually across this landscape known for its beauty—and its challenging terrain. They are a trusted provider of emergency medical transport and care that serves more than 17,000 residents and another 45,000 through mutual aid to neighboring areas.
The UBREMS history of service, particularly with respect to rural and recreational rescue operations, has earned it a reputation as one of the most capable EMS teams in the region.
“The rural landscape our EMS team responds to includes obstacles that other services might struggle to reach,” said Paramedic Chief Barbara Stebulis. “We regularly respond to incidents involving rock climbers at High Rocks Vista, lost hikers in state game lands, and injured boaters at Lake Nockamixon. It’s not unusual for our teams to hike into remote terrain with heavy equipment on their backs to reach someone in need.”
Like many EMS organizations across the country, UBREMS faces rising operational costs, declining insurance reimbursement rates, and staffing shortages. Despite these challenges, UBREMS continues to operate with a team of paid, highly trained staff across two stations—Springfield and Revere—without governmental funding.
“We’re funded very differently from the fire and police services,” said Anthony Mills, board president and representative for Durham Township. “EMS organizations in Pennsylvania are not considered essential services and cannot rely on federal support. We must rely on a patchwork of funding sources—insurance reimbursements, municipal contributions, grants, donations, and subscriptions.”
He added that without community subscriptions, it’s difficult for an EMS agency to survive.
Currently, fewer than 15% of local households and businesses participate in the UBREMS subscription program. The April relaunch of the subscriptions outlines the valuable savings for subscribers—it reduces or eliminates out-of-pocket ambulance costs for subscribers, as well as playing a direct role in sustaining round-the-clock EMS coverage.
“Subscriptions are a lifeline for the community,” Mills emphasized. “Increasing subscription participation helps to stabilize our finances and ensure we continue providing the expert, timely care our community depends on. Every subscription helps us keep going, every dollar keeps a medic on the road.”
From winding backroads and dense woods to steep elevations and state parklands, UBREMS emergency staff is on the job when lifesaving medical transportation care is time sensitive.
“Our team shows up—day or night, in a snowstorm, in the woods, wherever we’re needed,” said Stebulis. “They’re calm under pressure, skilled in advanced life support, and experienced in responding to emergencies that happen far from paved roads or cell signals. We’re proud of what we do—but we can’t do it alone.”
A successful 2025 subscription campaign will help community residents and businesses offset the high costs of individuals who need medical transport while simultaneously ensuring that expert medical emergency coverage and staffing are available and ready across the region.
“Supporting your local EMS is a smart financial decision that helps offset medical transport costs, and it’s also a direct and meaningful way to make a difference in your community,” said Mills. “Our team is always here for you—and now you can be here for them.”
Anyone interested in an UBREMS subscription can subscribe, or consider a tax-deductible donation, at ubrems.org/subscribe. For information about program and sponsorship opportunities contact Barbara Stebulis, Paramedic Chief, at bstebulis@ubrems.org or 610-847-8801 x 701.
