January 1, 1977, the Mt. Lebanon Police Medical Rescue Team combined with the South Hills Ambulance Service to form Medical Rescue Team South, serving Mt. Lebanon, Dormont, Castle Shannon and Baldwin Township. The service had two ambulances and nine medics. Coming up on 40 years later, Medical Rescue also serves Green Tree and Whitehall with a fleet of seven ambulances, a utility vehicle to provide on-site rehab for exhausted firefighters and a supervisor’s quick-response vehicle. A staff of three shift supervisors, 24 paramedics and 15 EMTs are on hand to answer the calls.

Some highlights over the past four decades:

1994 MRTSA, Tri-Community South and Baldwin EMS began providing wheelchair van services for residents who needed transportation to medical appointments but did not need to ride in an ambulance.

1995 The new headquarters on Cypress Way allowed for the addition of a community education and training center, a mechanic’s bay and housing for up to 12 emergency vehicles.

2003 Todd Pritchard was appointed operations manager.

2005 MRTSA’s community education program trained close to 3,000 people in CPR, advanced cardiac life support and pediatric advanced life support.

2012 MRTSA began upgrading its fleet with new ambulances that feature four-wheel drive and state-of-the-art technology.