By Beth Lucas
East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Arizona)
Copyright 2006 East Valley Tribune
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
Some East Valley municipalities are proposing a regional ambulance contract to improve and standardize response times.
Current response times in city and town contracts vary, such as Gilbert’s contractual goal of 10 minutes or less for the most serious injuries, compared to Mesa’s goal of eight minutes and 59 seconds or less for the same injuries.
Gilbert Town Council’s Subcommittee on Fire Service Standards meets Monday to talk about the issue, which has been discussed among East Valley fire officials for about a year.
Mesa assistant fire chief Mary Cameli said the benefit would be on placing the priority on response times instead of where ambulances are located.
“We’d like it so it’s all regional,” she said. “So no matter who needs an ambulance, there’s one available for that community.”
Cameli said it’s too early to say what municipalities would be part of a regional system, but differing services and contracts among cities would have to be considered.
Gilbert extended its contract with Southwest Ambulance until March, when it will likely be extended again.
Mesa’s renewable contract with Southwest ends in February.
Gilbert Vice Mayor Dave Crozier, chairman of the town’s fire service standards subcommittee, said he would support a uniform ambulance system if it meant equal policies.
“You should get a consistent standard of care, regardless of what community you’re in,” he said.
However, he said he would oppose it if it meant one ambulance provider could “lock up a deal” on multiple communities.
Cameli, though, said a regional contract would have to be written in such a way as to allow multiple providers.
Southwest Ambulance, which offers coverage to Mesa and Gilbert, stations a specific number of ambulances in each town, while also having roving ambulances.
Though some municipalities have restrictions in their contracts as to whether some ambulances can leave the city limits, Southwest does allow ambulances to respond among cities depending upon which ambulance is closest.