UPMC, Highmark pledge $45 million to Pittsburgh over 5 years for emergency services

UPMC and Highmark have agreed to give the city of Pittsburgh $45 million over the next five years to help buy fire and EMS vehicles, Mayor Corey O'Connor announced on Thursday.

Highmark will invest $30 million in first responder services, with a primary focus on buying vehicles for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire. UPMC, in addition to the $10 million that it pledged to the EMS fleet in January, will donate another $25 million. It brings the total of money pledged from both health care giants to $55 million since O'Connor took office. 

"For far too long, we've heard stories that our ambulances were breaking down to and from calls," O'Connor said. "That is not acceptable in the city of Pittsburgh. So with that gift, our EMS personnel will be able to deliver reliable emergency services to our residents."

The donations come as Pittsburgh, facing a deficit of tens of millions of dollars, reopened its budget in March. 

If the city's five largest nonprofits — UPMC, Highmark, the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University — weren't exempt from property tax, Pittsburgh would get an extra $34.5 million annually, according to a 2022 report from the city and county. 

Pittsburgh City Controller Rachael Heisler, who has long warned that the city's financial situation is "precarious," applauded the donations on Thursday and said she hopes it serves as the standard for subsequent agreements from other large nonprofits. 

"This partnership represents a major milestone in the City of Pittsburgh's history – one that many of us have said for years was essential to our future," Heisler said. "I commend Mayor O'Connor for making this a priority and getting the deal done at a time when the City is in urgent need of new revenue. And I thank UPMC and Highmark for stepping up and showing their commitment to the City and their shared responsibility for ensuring we have the resources we need to provide essential services. "

The mayor's office says O'Connor has confirmed over $70 million in funding from local partners so far, including Heinz Endowments, Richard King Mellon Foundation and Pirates Charities.