The addition of two paid drivers to Alpha Community Ambulance Service has enabled the service to cut its response time significantly, the company's top official says.

"They are able to respond in seconds," said Dave Hamilton, Alpha's president.

The paid drivers have also reduced the amount of turnovers, which occur when the first company called does not respond fast enough and the dispatcher has to transfer the call to another ambulance company.

The drivers were hired six months ago to supplement the company's 40 volunteers. Both were volunteers in Alpha company before going on payroll, said Tim Knisely, an Emergency Medical Technician and one of the paid drivers at Alpha, 400 W. Beaver Ave.

"I've always been involved in public service, fire fighting and Emergency Medical Service," Knisely said. "It's been in my family for as long as I can remember."

The two compensated drivers' wages are paid through subscriptions to Alpha company.

Residents in Alpha's service area can subscribe by paying a $10 individual fee or $15 family fee per year, which covers all ambulance service. Those without subscriptions pay about $100 for ambulance transportation.

Alpha's service area covers State College, College, Ferguson, Harris and Patton townships, and also covers University Park when Penn State's ambulance service is unable to respond.

According to a recently released report, Alpha has responded to 30 percent more calls in the last four months. Alpha also responded to 1,730 calls in 1989, logging 19,356 miles in 1,311 hours of service.

"We get about three calls a day on the average, and almost all of them are legitimate," Knisely said.

Alpha officials are attempting to supplement about 6,000 subscribers, Hamilton said.

"We're still compiling subscriptions, "he said. "The subscribers are really important because they pay for the system."

At least six drivers must be on call to staff Alpha's three ambulances, Hamilton said. Two of the ambulances are based in State College and one in Boalsburg.

The paid drivers work on weekdays during business hours. They respond to the first call received while on duty, leaving the volunteers to take any other calls that come in while paid drivers are out, Hamilton said,

"It's getting tougher and tougher to get volunteers. It's especially hard during working hours, because most of our volunteers are professionals and they're at work," Hamilton said.