SAN FRANCISCO — Ambulance response times for some potentially life-threatening emergencies in San Francisco are still too slow in many cases, according to fire department records and first responders who spoke to 2 Investigates.
In July 2014, firefighters and paramedics told KTVU that every day they were dealing with long waits for “medic to follow” calls, in which a fire truck or engine on the scene of a medical emergency calls for an ambulance to provide further aid or transport to a hospital. Since then, the San Francisco Fire Department has added 19 new ambulances and hired more personnel. While new data suggests there continue to be significant delays, the fire department now disputes the accuracy of its own records.
Records Disputed
The San Francisco Fire Department’s goal is to have an ambulance respond to the scene of life-threatening “Code 3" calls in ten minutes or less. For non-life threatening medical care, or “Code 2" responses, the goal is 20 minutes.
Read full story: 2 Investigates: SF Fire Chief responds to KTVU report on ambulance delays