WASHINGTON — Third-party ambulances will be hitting D.C.’s streets Monday, bringing changes in how medical transports are handled.
D.C. Fire and EMS will continue to respond to every medical emergency it receives, but when crews get to the scene, the seriousness of the injury or illness will determine who transports the patient.
If the problem is determined to be minor, like a sprain or cold symptoms, American Medical Response (AMR) will take that patient to a hospital.
If the issue is more serious, like a heart attack or unconsciousness, D.C. Fire and EMS will transport that patient to the hospital.
Officials say the changes are meant to help lighten the burden on the department.
“The greatest impact will be availability,” D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Tim Wilson says. “If you have more units available for critical emergencies, you probably will see some impact on response times.”
D.C. Fire and EMS Chief Gregory Dean says deploying the third-party responders is part of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s broader plan to strengthen the District’s emergency medical services.
“The goal is for our members to receive more training, better maintain our vehicles and preserve our resources for life threatening calls,” Dean said in a statement. “These steps will help reinforce and improve our provision of patientcare.”
American Medical Response was brought in to handle the additional call load back in February. As part of the agreement, the company will operate and maintain 29 private ambulances in the District with as many as 25 being on-call during high-call volume periods.
Wilson says the private units will be spread out throughout the District and could be on scene within 10 minutes after being dispatched.
