Laramie begins EMS transfer split with Ivinson; consultants, city and hospital prepare separate systems

Laramie — Laramie city officials and outside consultants told the City Council Wednesday that the city is preparing to separate inter-facility patient transfers (IFTs) from front‑line 911 emergency response, moving routine hospital-to-hospital and long-distance patient transports to Ivinson Memorial Hospital while Laramie Fire will continue emergency response in the city and county.

The transition follows more than a year of joint study with Fitch & Associates and a decision in November 2024 to part ways on how to run IFTs. "We have been working with Ivinson Memorial Hospital to transition patient transfer services to the hospital and out of Laramie Fire," City Manager Janine said as she introduced the update, and Chief Justin Johnson reviewed the operational history that led to the shift.

Why it matters: LFD logged hundreds of long transfers that consumed many firefighter/paramedic hours and stretched departmental staffing. City and county leaders say separating the transfer workload should preserve on‑scene emergency capacity. But several current LFD paramedics told council that losing specialized civilian paramedics will reduce advanced prehospital care available on some 911 calls.

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Consultants from Fitch & Associates said the transition project is on schedule and that behind‑the‑scenes work is well underway. "We haven't hit any significant delays or hurdles," Chad Primo of Fitch said, adding the team is "on track, if not ahead of schedule, to meet the September 1 deadline." Fitch reported 56 tasks and milestones for the transition, with 19 already completed.

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