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AREA Ambulance reports sharper call volume in Marion, outlines training, tech and facility investments
Summary
AREA Ambulance told the Marion City Council it is averaging 85 calls per day systemwide and about 17.5 calls per day in Marion, described a new CEO-led leadership structure, investments in fixed posts and a paramedic training pipeline, and said response-time goals remain a focus.
AREA Ambulance presented its annual update to the Marion City Council, reporting higher call volumes in the city and outlining steps the nonprofit is taking to improve staffing, deployment and clinical outcomes.
"We are your ambulance service," Jennifer Peeden, who recently became AREA's chief executive, told the council as she described the organization’s priorities after a leadership transition. Peeden said AREA operates as a 501(c)(3) without tax subsidies and is emphasizing strategic planning, rebuilding bench strength, clearer internal communications and stronger accountability as new leadership settles in.
On operations, Peeden said the service is averaging 85 calls for service per day systemwide and about 64 daily transports. "In Marion, that's 17 and a half calls for service with 15 transports," she said, noting a noticeable jump from the roughly 11 calls and nine transports reported the prior year.
Peeden described technology and deployment practices that guide staffing. A seven-year heat map from AREA's CAD system supports dynamic deployment: units are posted where calls are most likely to occur, and the closest available unit is dispatched. For life‑threatening 'lights‑and‑sirens' responses, AREA measures response performance against a nine‑minute threshold and aims to meet it 90% of the time; Peeden reported Marion is at about the target for those responses but that non‑life‑threatening calls have longer response distributions.
Peeden also detailed workforce and training initiatives. AREA created an in‑house training center and is pursuing higher‑education accreditation to certify paramedics locally, a move intended to ease entry barriers and produce a steadier pipeline of advanced clinicians. "We're currently in the final stages of being accredited by the higher education learning body so that we can actually do paramedic certifications as well," she said.
Capital and partnership steps were highlighted. AREA purchased a long‑leased fixed post on 9th Street and completed construction on another fixed post adjacent to the Marion emergency department; Peeden said the latter was a $1,300,000 investment intended primarily as a crew support facility rather than a change to deployment strategy. She outlined a QR‑code feedback pilot with hospitals to capture patient outcomes and a medication‑exchange practice so fire crews can swap drug‑box items on scene rather than travel to the hospital.
Council members asked about workforce stability, the heat‑map technology, and whether fixed posts would materially change response times. Peeden said corner deployments and algorithmic posting were the main drivers of improved times and that the fixed posts offer permanence and crew amenities rather than being the core driver of response improvements.
The council thanked AREA for the annual briefing; staff said they would follow up on data and operational items as requested.
The council did not take an action vote on any ordinance or contract related to AREA during the work session; the presentation was informational and staff indicated they would return with any requested additional detail.
