Cloverdale Ambulance outlines 24/7 coverage, rising demand and tight budget

Eric Colm, chief executive of the Cloverdale Healthcare District Ambulance, gave a presentation to the council on the agency’s service area, staffing, fleet and finances.

Colm said the district now staffs a primary ALS ambulance 24/7, operates three ambulances plus a quick-response vehicle (QRV), and reported more than 1,400 calls in 2025 with year-over-year increases of 8–10% in call volume. The agency employs two full-time paramedics, two full-time EMTs, five part-time EMTs and seven part-time paramedics, and crews are staffed around the clock.

On the budget, Colm said the ambulance’s operational budget is “basically well under $1,300,000,” with transport revenue roughly $1,000,000 and a partial assessment bringing in about $207,000 annually. He highlighted heavy payroll and benefits as the largest expense — roughly $800,000 per year — and described programs that help offset low reimbursements from government payers, including intergovernmental transport supplemental (IGT) and Public Provider Ground Emergency Medical Transport (PPGEMT) funds.

Colm emphasized recent equipment upgrades — LifePak 35 cardiac monitors, video laryngoscopes and a recently installed auto-loading gurney — and said partnerships with Northern Sonoma County Fire and Cloverdale Police Department provide mutual aid and a QRV pilot that has reduced delays. He added the district has applied for grants unsuccessfully in the past but would pursue funding opportunities where feasible.

Council members thanked Colm and attendees for the briefing and asked follow-up questions about dispatch quirks for cell-phone calls, reimbursement and burnout support; Colm noted employee assistance programs and critical-incident debriefing available through the county.