Yuma Fire Department placed on corrective action after narrowly missing ambulance response targets; temporary overtime staffing restores compliance

Division Chief Daniel Ospino told the Yuma City Council on Feb. 2 that the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) delivered a corrective-action plan after the city’s ambulance transport units missed the response-time fractals on the city’s Certificate of Necessity (CON) by 0.9 percent.

“It's kind of important to note that it's a promise to our community,” Ospino told the council, explaining the two timed benchmarks on the CON: a transport unit on scene in 7 minutes or less 90% of the time, and in 11 minutes or less 99% of the time. He said the December CON renewal submission showed the city off those marks by 0.9 percent, prompting DHS to require quarterly reporting and a corrective-action plan.

Chief Dustin Fields and Division Chief Ospino described steps taken since November. The department staffed a day car at Station 7 during peak hours in November and expanded that unit to 24‑hour coverage in February. In addition, the department up‑staffed a day unit, referred to in the briefing as Medic 13, to serve Station 3’s area. With those two units in place (paid by overtime), Ospino said the week of March 9–15 met both CON fractals for the first time since the corrective-action plan began. He said the city will submit the first-quarter report to DHS soon.

Ospino emphasized that the two additional units are currently covered by overtime and that the department plans to apply for a SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant to offset long-term personnel costs; a SAFER award typically covers 75% of costs in the first year and 50% in subsequent years, staff said. Chief Fields said the department aims to fill nine new positions so the extra units can be staffed with full‑time employees; the projected earliest onboarding for those hires was described as “late spring of 2026.”

Council members pressed staff on sustainability and risk. Deputy Mayor Smith asked whether the city could lose its CON; staff said continued failure could lead to revocation but described that outcome as requiring prolonged noncompliance and failure to cooperate with the state. Councilmember McClendon and others said reliance on overtime is not sustainable; staff acknowledged the operational limits of extended overtime and repeated that hiring full-time personnel is the intended solution.

Officials noted local geography and growth are factors: eastern growth and buildout near Station 7 and in Ocotillo raised response times, and the city measures systemwide performance. Chief Fields said Yuma has held a CON since 2013 and this is the first corrective action the department has received.

The council and staff discussed alternatives including lateral hires from other jurisdictions, grant-seeking, and future staffing recommendations expected from an upcoming CityGate staffing study. Staff said they will continue weekly reporting to the city manager and anticipate submitting DHS’s required quarterly data on schedule.

No formal council action was taken during the briefing. Council members thanked the fire department for transparency and asked staff to return with updated operational and budget recommendations.