Director Theresa McKenna

FIRE BOARD MEMBERS RAISE CONCERNS OVER AMBULANCE CONTRACT RESPONSE TIMES

 

 

Ambulance responses in our region raise alarms:  Part V in a series

 

By Mike Allen

December 1, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) -- By most accounts, the ambulance service contractor for East County’s unincorporated area, Mercy Medical Transportation, is doing a good job, exceeding the required minimum response time threshold of at least 30 minutes on 90 percent of its calls.

But some question that 30-minute standard, and why such an important contract involving about 850 square miles was enacted without first consulting the fire agencies that are the first responders to 911 emergency calls.

At a September meeting of the San Miguel Fire Protection District, Director Theresa McKenna noted that the minimum response times for most urban areas of the county is 12 minutes, but for Zone 2, which encompasses most of East County to the Imperial County line and includes much of Otay Mesa, it’s 30 minutes. View Zone 2 map of ambulance service here.


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