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Fountain Valley approves city-operated ambulance program, schedules December 2026 launch
Summary
The City Council voted 5-0 to transition from a contracted ambulance service to a city-operated program that will add two 24-hour ambulances, new firefighter/ambulance positions and start-up capital funded in part by federal rate-range grants and ambulance-billing revenue.
Fountain Valley —6, Sept. 25, 2025 —6 The City Council on Sept. 25 approved a plan to move ambulance services in-house, replacing the existing public-private model with a city-operated ambulance program intended to increase coverage and local control.
Acting Fire Chief Tim Saiki told the council the plan calls for two 24-hour frontline ambulances (up from the current mix of one 24-hour and one 12-hour unit), two reserve ambulances, and the hiring of about a dozen full-time ambulance operators plus six part-time operators to backfill shifts. Saiki said the city expects to order four Type 3 ambulances immediately because vehicle lead times can run 12 to 21 months.
Saiki cited three funding sources that make the change feasible: (1) retained ambulance-billing revenue the city began collecting in 2020, (2) federal voluntary rate-range funds the city has already drawn down (about $1.4 million net to date with roughly $566,000 expected next year), and (3) savings from contract administrative and facility charges. "We believe the benefits to response times and local control outweigh the modest additional first-year costs," Saiki said.
The city projects a modest first-year net increase in costs (about $600,000 to $670,000 above the current contracted cost in year one, then roughly $40,000 higher in ongoing years), driven by startup hiring, onboarding and equipment. Saiki said the proposed startup budget includes ambulance procurement, radios, initial EMS supplies and station modifications; staff are investigating station retrofit costs and expect them to be kept under $100,000 if possible.
Council members pressed staff on recruitment risk and surge capacity. Saiki said the city will pursue automatic-aid agreements with neighboring agencies and maintain surge contracts as contingency. City Attorney (addressing legal continuity) confirmed the city's long-standing "201" rights to provide ambulance transport in-house and said operating a city-run service helps preserve those rights.
Council voted 5-0 to adopt the recommendation and directed staff to coordinate a transition plan targeting a December 2026 operational start date, with recruitment and onboarding steps beginning mid-2026.
The council's action directs staff to finalize equipment procurement, establish job classifications, and negotiate mutual-aid/surge agreements with neighboring agencies before launch.
