TowerDIRECT’s Director and Chief of EMS has been named one of Lehigh Valley Business’s 2024 Forty Under 40 recipients, highlighting the importance of emergency services in our local communities.
Brad Cosgrove, MHA, NRP, FP-C, a paramedic and volunteer firefighter, oversees TowerDIRECT’s 150 clinicians who complete 30,000 emergency dispatches annually. He is being honored for his disaster relief efforts and his strategic planning, including expanding TowerDIRECT’s coverage area and life-saving services.
Forty Under 40 recognizes professionals under the age of 40 who have been successful in the Greater Lehigh Valley area. Honorees, selected by the Lehigh Valley Business leadership team and a panel of previous winners, were chosen based on professional accomplishments, community service, and commitment to inspiring change.
"I’m excited to represent TowerDIRECT and Tower Health as one of this year’s Forty Under 40 honorees," he said. "This recognition is a tribute to the hard work of our TowerDIRECT team, which continues to set the standard. I’m proud of all we have accomplished and the ways we have contributed to community care. I am eager to see what we can achieve next."
TowerDIRECT is the system’s non-profit EMS agency, providing emergency 911 response to residents in 19 townships and boroughs throughout Berks County and Chester County. The team is also equipped to transport patients in non-emergent situations through partnerships with organizations, including community hospitals, local municipalities, and other emergency response agencies.
Cosgrove has launched several EMS initiatives, including a blood-carrying program that has become a blueprint for other EMS agencies statewide. With this program, Cosgrove and his team implemented procedures that allow TowerDIRECT to carry blood on its Critical Care Truck. TowerDIRECT is now the first agency in Pennsylvania with paramedics trained to administer blood in a pre-hospital environment and authorized to offer this life-saving service. In addition, TowerDIRECT developed the paramedic training that will be adopted statewide by other EMS agencies interested in providing this service.
"What continues to impress me about Brad is his eagerness to learn," said Michael Stern, Tower Health President and Chief Operating Officer. "I am proud the amount of effort he puts into his work, his career growth, and the support and encouragement he provides to his team. I congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition."
In addition to TowerDIRECT, Cosgrove works with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of the Pennsylvania Task Force-1’s Search and Rescue team. He has been deployed numerous times to both natural and human disasters within the continental United States, providing medical and rescue needs to disaster relief victims. He was deployed to Florida in 2021 to aid in hurricane relief and the collapse of the Surfside Towers apartment building. Cosgrove still serves as a volunteer firefighter at Fame Fire Company #3 where he has been a member since he was 17 years old.
"The 2024 Forty Under 40 honorees are accomplished in their careers and also understand the importance of giving back to the community in meaningful ways. In addition, they inspire change and help make the Lehigh Valley the best place to live and work," said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/Lehigh Valley Business. "We at Lehigh Valley Business are honored to recognize these current and future leaders of our region."