Morningside neighbors press Edina council to act on slow EMS response times

Residents of the Morningside neighborhood urged the Edina City Council on July 15 to prioritize spending on paramedic firefighters and to accelerate planning for a third fire station after describing delayed emergency medical services and citing a 2018 study recommending a new station. Why it matters: Witnesses, many who live in the neighborhood, said the city’s stated goal of a six‑minute EMS response is not being met in Morningside and that response times of 12–15 minutes were recorded in a 2018 study. Callers and residents told the council they believe staffing shortages and distance from the nearest fire station contribute to the delay. Resident testimony focused on two accounts. Emily Vilas, who identified herself as living at 4008 Grimes Avenue South, said she witnessed a neighbor’s cardiac event and told the council, “Every minute counts in a cardiac emergency.” She said staffing shortfalls and the distance from the fire station produced medically meaningful delays and renewed a neighborhood request to plan now for an additional station. Speakers asked the council to consider short‑term staffing solutions such as adding paramedic firefighters now, contracting for coverage, or placing response vehicles temporarily at City Hall. Several speakers also asked the council to use the unassigned 2024 fund balance or other near‑term funds to begin addressing staffing gaps. Council members acknowledged the concern and asked staff to include EMS staffing as a priority in upcoming budget discussions. Fire‑department staffing figures presented to the council showed that the department’s current routine staffing allows three simultaneous incidents and that during the first half of 2025 there were 167 events with four or more simultaneous incidents, which at times produced waits for responders. The council did not take a formal vote on a staffing change at the July 15 meeting. Multiple speakers said they expected the issue to be prioritized during the August budget cycle and asked the council to consider permanent hires, short‑term contracted coverage, and the longer‑term station planning process to reduce response intervals. The council asked staff to bring response‑time data and budget options — including near‑term staffing and the phased plan for a new station — to the August 19 meeting for further consideration.