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Safety committee leaves ambulance response-time ordinance unchanged after reviewing NFPA guidance
Summary
Salem—s safety committee reviewed ambulance response-time standards and the city—s existing ordinance; members decided not to shorten the current 9-minute requirement after concerns about dispatch procedures and private ambulance practices were raised.
Salem—s safety committee reviewed ambulance response-time expectations and potential ordinance changes at its Sept. 18 meeting and reported its findings to the full council on Oct. 7. Committee members decided to retain the existing 9-minute arrival requirement after hearing from fire personnel and reviewing National Fire Protection Association guidance.
Safety Committee Chair Janie Bricker told the council her committee met Sept. 18 with Councilman Jeff Stockman, Law Director Ron Zellers, Director Joe Capizello, and several fire department members to discuss ambulance response times and coordination between the Salem Fire Department and private ambulance companies. Chief Mason of the fire department did not attend but supplied documents to the committee. Chief Mason had suggested adopting a five-minute on-scene requirement for ambulance companies, Bricker said, and committee members examined NFPA standards for first responder arrival.
The committee reviewed the NFPA guidance cited in the meeting: first responders are expected to be on scene within about four minutes for life-threatening emergencies, while NFPA allows longer times for less critical incidents. Bricker said committee members concluded a five-minute arrival standard was unrealistic for private ambulance companies because private units are often dispatched only after the fire department is already en route.
"The current ordinance requires ambulances to arrive within 9 minutes 90% of the time," Bricker said. Fire department personnel told the committee that even a nine-minute target was often exceeded and that delayed or inconsistent notification from private ambulance services was a core problem. Committee members noted enforcement and dispatch-process limitations make stricter time limits difficult to achieve.
The committee left the ordinance unchanged at nine minutes but flagged dispatch procedures and compliance as areas needing attention. Fire personnel expressed frustration that private ambulances sometimes transport patients without notifying Salem dispatch, and committee members asked how the city could ensure private providers notify dispatch immediately when they receive a direct emergency call.
The safety committee—s unanimous decision to retain the 9-minute standard was procedural; no formal vote by the full council on ordinance text occurred at the Oct. 7 meeting. The committee recommended continuing to examine dispatch procedures and potential enforcement mechanisms to improve coordination between the Salem Fire Department and private ambulance providers.
