We are now enrolling students in our Fall 2025 Phlebotomy program. Applications are open and being accepted online here.

For questions or more information on our Phlebotomy program, please go here, or email training@centrelifelink.com

September 24, 2024—Centre LifeLink EMS has received $175,000 in state funding to offset the cost of a new ambulance, which totals over $260,000 This project was financed, in part, by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the PA Department of Community and Economic Development. The funding was facilitated by Representative Scott Conklin.

The new ambulance will replace an ambulance from a 2009 that was remounted in 2016, and used a total of 15 years. With seven ambulances in rotation, and an emergency response average of 20 calls per day, one LifeLink ambulance needs replaced annually. Centre LifeLink EMS is a 501c3 non-profit organization, that relies, in part, on donations and memberships from our community, as well as programs such as this one recommended by Representative Conklin’s office, to make capital purchases.

For more information on Centre LifeLink EMS, its services, funding, and operations, please visit www.centrelifelink.com

The 2025 Centre LifeLink EMS membership campaign is officially under way.

Each fall, Centre Region residents are encouraged to enroll as a Centre LifeLink member, ensuring them that they will have no out-of-pocket expenses for unlimited emergency ambulance service provided by Centre LifeLink EMS. Memberships are available now and residents in Centre LifeLink’s coverage area will receive a membership brochure with information on how to participate.

Members can save an average of $900 for basic life support calls and more than $1,600 for advanced life support paramedic service — these are the average costs nonmembers pay. Individual memberships cost $75 and family memberships cost $95 for a one-year period beginning Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31, 2025.

Centre LifeLink depends on revenues generated from the membership drive, as well as donations, to assure that personnel will be there with state-of-the-art equipment when residents need them. Funds raised through the 2025 Membership Drive will help offset the cost of replacing life-saving equipment.

Residents of the Centre Region will receive 2025 membership brochures in the mail, and registration is also open online at www.centrelifelink.com.

State College, PA—Centre LifeLink EMS has been re-accredited for the 9^th consecutive three year term (26 years) by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) for its compliance with national standards of excellence and exemplifying the “gold standard” of emergency medical care. There were no deficiencies cited in LifeLink’s onsite review. With this outstanding achievement, Centre LifeLink is only one of four accredited ambulances in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Commission is a non-profit organization which was established to encourage and promote quality patient care in America’s medical transportation systems. The primary focus of the Commission’s standards is high-quality patient care. This is accomplished by establishing national standards which not only address the delivery of patient care, but also the ambulance service’s total operation and its relationships with other agencies, the general public, and the medical community. The Commission’s standards often exceed state or local licensing requirements.

Scott Rawson, Executive Director of Centre LifeLink, said accreditation “represents our commitment to our patients and our community. We continuously strive to do our best and our consistent accreditation status is another step toward excellence.”

“Our staff has been key to our successful completion of the accreditation process,” said Rawson. “Everyone here plays a valuable role in our ability to continuously meet the Commission’s high standards.”

For more information on the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services, please go to: www.caas.org, and for more information on Centre LifeLink EMS, please go to: www.centrelifelink.com.

Annual Awards Banquet

500 EMS Responses in 2022:

Matthew Burnheimer      641

Chris Kilburn                 595

Sean Kleckner                524

Sean McAndrew             637

Brandon McMinn           868

Josh Messing                  619

Scott Packer                   696

Chad Richard                 766

Nathan Shadle                588

Vince Stitzer                  660

John Surkovic                578

Tom Dillman                  797

Years of Service Awards:

Jenny Miller                  5 years

Albert Nakpil                5 years

David Dreese                 10 years

William Kenyon            10 years

Brenda Coe                   15 years

Thomas Ertsgaard        15 years

Kathleen Neal                15 years

Timothy Kohler            15 years

Nikki Hamilton             15 years

Eric Prescott                  15 year

Years of Service Awards in 2022      

10 years: Vicki Weaver

15 years: Raymon Masters

20 years of Service: Chris Kilburn

25 Years of Service: Scott Rawson         

Special Recognition:

Dianna Meckley            12 years     Board of Directors

Richard Shurgalla        12 years      Board of Directors

Rodney Beard                26 years     Board of Directors 

20+ Years of Service:

Chris Kilburn        20 years

John Surkovic       21 years

Kent Knable          22 years

Dr. Clifford Neal   24 years

Scott Woodring     24 years

Scott Rawson        25 years

Rodney Beard       26 years

Cindy Yost           27 years

John Spearly         27 years

Gary Stead            37 years

2022 Awards

Top 3 Calls Van Service

3^rd     Bob Leon 219

2nd   Cinnamon Zimmerman 587

1^st      Tom Dillman  797

Top 3 Calls Part time EMS Employee

3^rd      Angie Poorman   342

2^nd     Gary Stead           362

1st     Raegen Donohue 403

Top 3 Calls Fulltime EMS Employee

3^rd      Scott Packer               696

2^nd    Chad Richard               766

1^st      Brandon McMinn        868

Top 3 Hours Volunteer 

3^rd   Amanda Bergamaschi  491

2^nd  Rebecca Affleck              615

Most Volunteer Hours:  Svend Pedersen 1,255

3^rd  Rebecca Affleck   128

2^nd Amanda Bergamaschi  134

Most Volunteer Calls: Svend Pedersen 364     

EMS Educator of the Year

Brandon McMinn

Van Driver of the Year 

Thomas Dillman

Career EMT of the Year

Savitoz Chilana

Career Paramedic of the Year

Matthew Burnheimer

Volunteer of the Year

Svend Pedersen