Residents and staff warn of ambulance staffing strain; ambulance delivery delayed into 2026

South Lloyd — Public comment and staff reports at the Aug. 18 council meeting highlighted ongoing emergency medical staffing shortages and a delayed replacement ambulance now expected in mid‑2026.

In public comment, resident Josh Wood criticized staffing levels and said repeated staffing shortfalls have undermined response capacity. “It needs to be better somehow, some way,” Wood said, urging the council to reconsider staffing requirements and deployment. Wood said he had contacted potential candidates and urged the council to hold departments accountable for minimum staffing standards.

City staff told the council the ambulance ordered for the city — originally expected in early 2023 after a multiyear procurement and supply‑chain delay — has been pushed into 2026. “It is now being pushed well into ’26,” a staff member said. Staff also reported that both ambulances had recently been out of service at the same time and that the city has been borrowing or leasing units in the interim.

Staff discussed possible short‑term operational adjustments, including examining staffing models so that two paramedics and one basic EMT configuration could permit continued engine responses while maintaining medic coverage. The council and staff asked residents to bring ideas and promised to relay capital and staffing proposals into the next year’s budget planning.

Fire Chief Jason Griffin was named in the meeting as having started as chief in June 2022; no chief‑level decision was adopted at the meeting. Council members and staff emphasized the need to accelerate replacement and consider interim leasing while capital procurement timelines remain uncertain.