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Douglas attendee urges Cochise County to address lack of ambulance, helicopter service after delayed transfer
Summary
A Douglas resident, identified as Kathleen during the meeting, told the Cochise County Library District board that her father waited six hours for transport because "there was no ambulance service and no helicopter service," urging the county to prioritize local hospital access. The board listened but took no formal action on the issue.
Kathleen, a public attendee, told the Cochise County Library District board on Nov. 4 that her father died after an extended delay to reach hospital care because local emergency transport was unavailable.
"There was no ambulance service and no helicopter service," Kathleen said, adding that it took six hours before Sierra Vista could pick up her father. She said others are still waiting to get into intensive care because they cannot be transported to Sierra Vista.
The exchange came during the meeting's opening public comment. The presiding officer acknowledged her loss and said, "We look forward to trying to help you with that," but the board did not take any formal action during this session to address emergency medical transport or hospital access for Douglas.
Why it matters: delayed or unavailable emergency transport can directly affect patient outcomes and raises questions about local access to urgent medical care for residents of Douglas and surrounding Cochise County communities. Kathleen's remarks framed the issue as both a personal tragedy and a broader public-safety concern.
What was said in the meeting: Kathleen described the sequence and the consequence of the transport delay, and she urged county officials to consider a local hospital or improved transport arrangements. The presiding officer expressed condolences and indicated the board would try to help; no staff directive, motion, or timetable for follow-up was recorded in the meeting minutes.
Next steps: The board did not vote on policies or funding related to emergency medical services at this meeting. The matter would require separate agenda time or a formal request for staff to investigate and report back to the board.
Ending: The meeting moved on to routine business and a consent-agenda vote later in the session; no policy change or binding county directive on ambulance or air transport was issued during this meeting.
