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Committee advances ordinance to route certain 911 medical dispatch calls to Richmond Ambulance Authority
Summary
The committee voted to forward ordinance 20-26-059 to route specified emergency medical dispatch calls to the Richmond Ambulance Authority. Administration and RAA representatives outlined operational risks and benefits; RAA CEO Chip Decker supported the change and cited accreditation and improved call processing.
The Public Safety Standing Committee voted to forward ordinance 20-26-059, which would amend city code to route specified 9-1-1 emergency medical dispatch calls to the Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA).
Tory Mead, deputy director of operations for Emergency Communications Preparedness and Response, briefed the committee on the administrative, operational, fiscal and strategic impacts. Mead flagged several risks: potential service-delay possibilities when calls transfer, the need for callers to repeat information after transfers, quality-assurance complications from having two agencies process similar calls, and the importance of aligning with national standards.
Chip Decker, CEO of the Richmond Ambulance Authority, spoke in support of the ordinance. Decker said RAA’s review of data over the past year showed improved call answering and that RAA is an accredited emergency medical dispatch center. "Once we see what comes over, if something looks a little suspect, then we will call back the patient or the caller and run them through the emergency medical dispatch protocol," Decker said.
Committee members acknowledged the concerns Mead raised, discussed possible state regulatory input, and emphasized coordination between RAA and city administration before implementation. A motion to forward the ordinance to the full council with a recommendation to approve carried; Miss Abubakar and Chair Trammell recorded "Aye."
