Faster response times, more efficient training and a more attractive facility are some reasons members of Centre LifeLink EMS, formerly known as Alpha Community Ambulance Services, are excited about their new facility.

The former 3,000-square-foot facility on South Atherton Street still exists; however, the new $3.2 million 19,500-square-foot facility, which opened Wednesday, will be an advantage to volunteers, as well as those in emergency situations.

The brand-new development at 125 Puddintown Road is expected to improve the quality of emergency services, Centre LifeLink Executive Director Scott Rawson said.

Rawson added that the new accommodations included a training room, eight ambulance bays and six individual bunkrooms for those who volunteer overnight.

Rawson said he is hopeful that the new facility would also attract more volunteers to the organization.

"It's going to be better in general and people are more likely to join the services," said Kristi Piller (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies), a volunteer.

"People are a lot more excited about the new facility and it will improve our professionalism in general," Piller added.

Rawson added that the new training room would also help to improve training programs for Centre Lifelink EMS.

"Our training room was non-existent on Atherton," Rawson said.

"Our medical director would hold a sheet on the wall to show a power-point presentation for emergency medical service training," he added.

Other municipalities, such as Harris, Ferguson and Patton townships, as well as Penn State, helped pay for the new facility.

"I was struck as I went through the new headquarters," Mayor Bill Welch said.

"Everyone I talked to about their services, whether it was a medical director or an emergency responder, everybody would say 'we used to do that in the garage' in the old facility," he said.

"That was the only space they had," Welch added.

Penn State President Graham Spanier and LifeLink facilities chairman and Centre County District Justice Carmine Prestia were among the half-dozen speakers at Wednesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

According to a recent press release, Spanier said he was proud the university played a significant role in strengthening the community's emergency preparedness.

In 2001, the Penn State's Board of Trustees agreed to lease a four-acre piece of land to the organization and last year added nearly an acre for $1 per year for 50 years.

"It's important for the university to be a good neighbor to the community because that is where our employees and students live and spend their time away from the office and classroom," Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said.

Prestia, a former Alpha EMT and a current volunteer firefighter, said he was also very proud of the efforts from those who contributed to the new facility.

"We decided we can no longer work in a facility that is smaller than most people's homes," he said.

"We provided everything from life-saving emergency services to transporting people in wheelchairs," Prestia added.

"It was getting more and more difficult to do that in the old building," Prestia said.

He added that with the new facility, Centre LifeLink EMS has a chance to establish its own identity from the fire company, which will remain on Atherton Street.

Though the groups split into two organizations in 1972, he said this would reinforce their separation.

"Personally, I'm very proud of this effort," Prestia said.

"This is something good," he added.