Emergency medical services across Pennsylvania are in crisis mode, trying to find ways to continue services.

The challenges stem from a lack of man power, to not receiving proper pay for their work.

The majority of the patients they service are on medicaid or medicare and reimbursements for service total just $200 dollars.

"We are losing more EMS providers faster than we can train them," said Doug Dick, Chief at Superior Ambulance Service and President of the Mercer County Pre-Hospital Care Council. "We cannot afford to pay our people what they deserve, we cannot afford to keep on spending the money we're spending to provide the services," he said.

Less man power means less ambulances on the road and longer wait times.

In several instances this month alone, there's been only one ambulance available for the entire county.

If an ambulance becomes available while others are preoccupied and it's leaving Sharon Regional Medical Center, for example, but there's a call in Sandy Lake, you're looking at a 40 minute wait time.

Dick's plan to fix this issue includes an increase in sales tax. He believes a one percent sales tax increase will help tremendously and tells 21 News by the end of this year, it would generate more than $16 million dollars, if granted.

"We do not have any time to waste, we're standing on a cliff looking over the cliff," Dick said.

Mercer County Commissioner Matthew McConnell opposes the idea. McConnell says EMS does need reimbursement for their services, but they're a "for-profit" entity, so it shouldn't come from a sales tax increase.

McConnell instead suggests a change in insurance reimbursement rates.

Dick says something needs to happen quickly, before someone dial's 9-1-1 and doesn't receive an ambulance.