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East County News Service
June 28, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – 
The Santee Fire Department and Lakeside Fire Protection District (FPD) assumed local control of ambulance services in their communities through formation of the Santee-Lakeside Emergency Medical Authority (SLEMSA) back on January 1. As a result, on May 12, an additional ambulance was placed in service in Lakeside. This 12-hour Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance operates daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to assist with peak call volumes. Starting June 30, a A second 12-hour BLS ambulance will go into service in Santee.
“Although the name has changed, the citizens of Santee, Lakeside, and portions of unincorporated San Diego County, known as Bostonia, will continue to receive the same exceptional level of emergency ambulance service provided since 1975,” a press release from SLEMSA states.
The dissolution of County Service Area 69, and the subsequent formation of SLEMSA, allows the City of Santee and Lakeside FPD to more efficiently implement improvements in the delivery of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for those they have sworn to serve and protect. A top priority for SLEMSA leadership has been to increase ambulance service levels.
The BLS ambulances are being placed into service to address the increasing call volume in the Santee and Lakeside communities. The fire departments have collectively witnessed EMS calls for service increase from 9,750 calls in 2011 to over 14,000 calls in 2022.
Although many of these responses require the assistance of Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance services, approximately 50% of patients only require the need for BLS-level ambulances. The new resources will increase the availability of higher acuity ALS-level ambulance services for critically ill or injured patients.
The additional BLS units will also assist with reducing ambulance response times and decreasing reliance upon mutual aid resources from neighboring agencies.
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