Public safety officers and former fire officials urge Sunnyvale to prioritize paramedic services study; council ranked the issue highly

Sunnyvale public safety representatives and a former fire chief told the council the city should prioritize a study of local paramedic services, citing delayed county ambulance responses and the potential to improve on-scene advanced life support.

Devin Klein, representing the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Officers Association, said Sunnyvale crews often arrive before ambulances but cannot provide paramedic-level care. "We've treated patients on medical calls where it took an ambulance 20 minutes to arrive instead of within our required 8 minute response times," Klein said at the workshop. He added the absence of on-scene paramedic care can result in significant delays for patients requiring advanced emergency procedures.

Tony S, a former mayor and former fire captain who also spoke, urged council to rank the study issue DPS 25-01 as the city—s top public-safety priority and to fund work that could lead to local paramedic capability. He said prior studies dating to 1978 recommended paramedic services for the community.

Council members and other speakers agreed paramedic services merit prioritized study. During the Public Safety departmental ranking session, councilmembers ranked the paramedic-services study (DPS 25-01) as the department's No. 1 study issue. Staff said a study would gather data on response times, options for sustained paramedic staffing and potential fiscal impacts; staff will return with a recommended scope and timeline for analysis.