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Fire Department flags rising EMS calls; commission reconvenes ambulance workgroup
Summary
Department leaders told the Fire Commission that EMS call volume has spiked since late fall and are convening a citywide ambulance workgroup to study deployment, staffing and alternative patient destinations; commissioners pressed for staffing, ALS coverage and H23 classification action.
Department leaders told the Fire Commission on Feb. 8 that EMS call volume increased sharply in recent months and is a primary driver of budgetary and operational pressures.
Deputy Chief Mark Gonzales reported that the department met an 89.29 percent rate of meeting the 10-minute threshold in January and that call volume remains high. Corroborating that trend, Director Corso said the spike in calls over the last several months amplifies the effect of proposed budget reductions and limits nonpersonnel flexibility.
To address demand, the commission and department will reconvene an ambulance workgroup that includes the Department of Public Health, private ambulance providers, labor representatives, the mayor's office and the controller's office. The group will analyze deployment, staffing models and alternative destinations for certain patients. Gonzales described training and procedural changes intended to make ambulances more readily available (for example, streamlining assignment-office operations and empowering rescue captains to act as assignment-office extensions during off hours).
Commissioners also pressed for expedited posting and filling of the H23 supervisory-administrative classification; the commission expressed unanimous support for moving the position forward to strengthen administrative oversight and career advancement for EMTs and paramedics.
Deputy Chief Gonzales and EMS Chief Jeff Myers also reviewed field incidents that underscore operational demands, including multiple cliff rescues, a BART technical rescue in which a patient was extricated and later died at the hospital, and mutual-aid dive responses. Commissioners requested follow-up reports on response-time trends and the reconvened EMS workgroup's recommendations.
The department said nine ambulances have been received (six in service, three being outfitted) and that it will continue training to expand ALS capacity across engines and trucks as personnel complete paramedic upgrades.
