California Healthline
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. — In Riverside County and across the state, ambulances that have transported patients to hospitals are not zipping off to help others in need. Instead, they are being delayed at those same hospitals, sometimes for up to six hours.
In areas with the worst delays, emergency response systems can be nearly paralyzed, straining the capacity of first responders, officials said.
“The problem is when ambulances are held for long periods of time, they are not available to run 911 calls,” said Bruce Barton, Emergency Medical Services Agency director for Riverside County. Barton, who serves on a statewide task force studying the issue, said Riverside is not the only area in California dealing with the issue. “There are many counties that are right now struggling with this phenomenon.”
Read full story: Riverside County First Responders Frustrated by Ambulance Delays