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County commissioner: four ambulances now serving Claremont; county asks city to host units to cut response times
Summary
Lake County Commissioner Keepon told the City of Claremont council that the county has expanded ambulance coverage and that vetted call data show 90th-percentile response times fell from about 16:26 in November to about 11:06 in March. She urged the city to consider housing units inside city limits to further reduce transport times.
Lake County Commissioner Keepon, who represents District 4, told Claremont’s city council on March 10 that the county has expanded ambulance coverage for the area and that early results show improved response times.
“We committed to bringing two more on board by April of this year,” Keepon said. “We’ve been able to deliver those two, but we’ve actually delivered another two.” Keepon said the county’s minimal ambulance staffing rose through a sequence of additions from 20 to 24 full‑time staffed ambulances countywide, plus additional peak‑hour units deployed near Claremont.
Keepon presented what she described as vetted call data that compare dispatch times with camera‑verified on‑scene times. She said the 90th‑percentile arrival time for transport units fell from 16 minutes, 26 seconds (reported Nov. 7) to 11 minutes, 6 seconds (reported March 6), a drop she called “tremendous progress.”
County staff answered technical questions. John Simpson of EMS, who accompanied Keepon, described how peak‑hour units were converted to full‑time staffing as provisional paramedics completed certification and medical‑director clearance.
Council members pressed for details about permanence, command and local control if the city hosts ambulances at city fire stations. Keepon and county staff said units answer under the county EMS chain of command but must follow station rules and be integrated operationally with local fire personnel. Keepon suggested the city consider housing at least two ambulances inside city limits — for example at the city’s public safety training complex — and said a 100‑foot dedication of right‑of‑way tied to another agenda item would help traffic circulation for first responders.
Council members asked how Claremont can be assured the new staffing will be maintained. Keepon said the system depends on MSTU funds and billing revenue, but that county recruiting efforts and a local paramedic academy have reduced shortages. “You can expect that to remain and only improve,” she told the council.
The council did not take a final vote on hosting ambulances at the meeting; members asked staff to return with options for facility space and any legal or contract steps required to host county ambulances in city buildings.
