The volunteer ambulance company that services Conshohocken, West Conshohocken, Narberth and Lower Merion, the Volunteer Medical Service Corps of Lower Merion and Narberth (or simply Narberth Ambulance), has announced that it has a new Executive Director. Below is the press release with the announcement:
Volunteer Medical Service Corps of Lower Merion and Narberth (Narberth Ambulance) is pleased to announce the appointment of East Norriton resident Patrick A. Doyle Sr. to the position of Executive Director effective March 2. Doyle is widely respected in the emergency medical services industry, which makes him the perfect fit for this new role with the areas leading non-profit provider of 911 pre-hospital emergency medical services. Doyle has enjoyed a 28-year history with VMSC and has a stellar reputation as a leader who is highly skilled, collaborative, open, passionate and curious. Beginning in the mid 1980s as a teenage volunteer emergency medical technician, Doyle took on more responsibilities within VMSC, progressing from fleet services director, to purchasing agent, to captain. For the past seven years, he has served as VMSC’s Deputy Chief of Operations.
In his new role as Executive Director, Doyle’s top priority will be to create a diversified fundraising and public awareness campaign to ensure that VMSC has the resources needed to continue the state-of-the-art emergency service care it provides the 95,000 residents of Lower Merion Township and the boroughs of Narberth, Conshohocken, and West Conshohocken. Funds raised will be used to replace three ambulances in the organization’s seven-ambulance fleet, thus enabling VMSC to continue providing state of the art medical care as one of Montgomery County’s busiest emergency medical squads. Doyle estimates the organization’s fundraising needs to be $3 million. The campaign coincides with a recent milestone for VMSC, which celebrated its seventieth anniversary in 2014.
“People are often surprised to learn just how much emergency assistance VMSC brings to the area,” explains Doyle. “We responded to approximately 6,000 calls in 2014. We have a 120-person well-trained and dedicated emergency medical team of EMTs, paramedics and nurses, the majority of whom are volunteers. The six doctors who serve on our medical team are all volunteers.” Outside of its service area, VMSC provides back-up support for neighboring townships and has dispatched crews to assist in national disasters such as Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Katrina.
“Residents and business owners are equally surprised to learn that we are not part of a municipal service and that less than one percent of our revenues come from taxes,” he adds. “We rely heavily on fundraising and dwindling insurance reimbursements to continue to offer our services.” That’s why Doyle’s new fundraising responsibility will be so important to VMSC and the communities it serves. “I am eager to get the word out about what we are doing and to foster collaborations to support our efforts.”
Doyle will work closely with VMSC’s Board of Directors to ensure that the achievement of goals and objectives are in alignment with the organization’s strategic plan. Board Member Karen Hinckley said VMSC’s Board of Directors is excited to work with Patrick in this capacity. “Patrick possesses a clear understanding of every aspect of our organization and what needs to be done. It is one of the reasons he is right for this position,” she explains. Doyle’s third key responsibility as Executive Director – evaluating and managing VMSC’s budget – is a skill he has mastered through his years of overseeing fleet acquisitions and as purchasing agent for VMSC.
Outside of VMSC, Doyle’s volunteer leadership activities include board appointments on both the Lower Merion and Narberth Historical Society and the Montgomery County Ambulance Association. His wife, Cassandra, is a contributing volunteer member of VMSC. His sons attend Waldron Mercy Academy.
The Conshohocken station for VMSC is located at 500 East Hector Street. To learn more about ways to support VMSC as a volunteer or donor, call 610-645-7770 or visit www.vmsc313.org.