By Kyarra Harris
Monterey Daily Herald
MONTEREY, Calif. — Starting in October, the Monterey Fire Department will assume responsibility for ambulance services in Carmel, marking a new phase in a partnership that began over a decade ago.
The Monterey City Council approved the transition during the last council meeting, where Carmel firefighters will become Monterey firefighters, while maintaining the ambulance at the Monterey Fire Department.
Monterey has handled Carmel’s fire services since 2012, helping the city transition from a volunteer-based system to a fully staffed professional department.
“This has been a 12-year process,” said Ross Pounds, president of the Monterey Firefighters Association. “We started with fire suppression in 2012, and ambulance services were supposed to follow, but it took time.”
Several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, stalled the departments from fully merging. The Monterey Fire Department also underwent a leadership change almost two years ago when Chief Andrew Miller took over and made the integration a priority.
“This agreement is a natural extension of our successful partnership with Carmel-by-the-Sea,” Miller said in a prepared statement. “We are committed to providing professional, compassionate, and reliable emergency medical services to all residents and visitors in Carmel, just as we do in Monterey.”
For many firefighters, the change formalizes a relationship that’s already been in place. Carmel’s ambulance crews are trained firefighters, many going through the Monterey Fire Academy and they regularly respond to calls alongside Monterey personnel, often from the same station.
“We’ve been working and training together for 12 years,” Pounds said. “We’ve lived with them and already work together. Now it’s official — we’re all part of the same department.”
The shift also opens up new roles for Carmel staff.
“They’ll be able to work on engines and boats, not just ambulances,” Pounds said. “And we’ll be able to work on the ambulance.”
Officials say residents shouldn’t notice any service disruption. The expanded arrangement is designed to streamline operations and maintain the same standards of emergency medical care in Carmel.
“For a smaller department, we cover a lot of ground,” Pounds said. “We’ve got the airport, the boat, a ladder truck, and now an ambulance. There’s plenty to do, and that’s a good thing.”
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