Fire chief urges residents to call 911, warns private ambulance activity caused delays

University Heights Fire Chief Harko told the Safety Committee on April 7 that residents must call 911 in any emergency, and cautioned that the recent appearance of a private volunteer ambulance group in the city has caused delays in fire department response when 911 is not used.

Chief Harko provided a decade‑long performance summary: “UHFD averaged a four minute response for emergency responses in University Heights over the last decade,” he said, noting that this includes turnout and travel time. He reviewed national benchmarks for dispatch and turnout times and described the city’s participation in a next‑generation 911 (NG‑911) regional dispatch center that routes cell calls locally and provides emergency medical dispatch guidance prior to responders’ arrival.

The chief said the private volunteer ambulance presence created confusion in the community and that, in some incidents, delayed fire department notification by 20–30 minutes because callers did not call 911 first. “Delays, even small ones, can change outcomes, and they could become fatal,” he warned, and appealed to the public to use 911 as the primary access to emergency services.

Committee members expressed appreciation for volunteer efforts but supported the chief’s emphasis on keeping emergency calls centralized through 911 to ensure coordinated dispatch and prompt medical and fire response. The committee asked staff to include a public education emphasis on calling 911 and to remind residents about NG‑911 benefits and how it routes calls to the correct local dispatch center.