LONG BEACH, Calif. — For the first time in nearly four decades, Long Beach has approved a new 24/7 ambulance unit, the city’s 10th, to help manage a growing volume of emergency calls.
The unit, which will be staffed by six paramedics, is expected to go into service within the next two to three weeks, the Long Beach Post reported. Officials are still determining where to base the new unit, but it will most likely assume the role of Rescue 2, a part-time, peak-hours ambulance that currently operates citywide from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The new unit is guaranteed to operate for at least three years under a labor agreement recently approved by the city and the Long Beach Firefighters Association, replacing the previous contract that expired in October.
Even with 10 paramedic units now in service, Fire Chief Dennis Buchanan said in March that Long Beach still needs at least 11 units staffed on 24-hour shifts. The Signal Tribune reported that nationally, cities average about 21,000 residents per rescue unit. In Long Beach, each unit serves roughly 55,000 residents.
In 2024, the city recorded 42 “out of service” incidents in which no rescue ambulance was available for five minutes or longer.
During the most recent budget cycle, Buchanan again urged city leaders to add more ambulances and rescue units beyond the newly expanded Rescue 2.
