DENVER — Denver Health ambulances took more than nine minutes to arrive at thousands of emergency calls during the first seven months of 2026, according to an analysis of response records obtained by CBS Colorado.
Ambulances took more than nine minutes from assignment to arrival in 7,865 cases. In 202 calls, response times topped 20 minutes.
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The calls involved a range of medical emergencies, including breathing problems, chest pain, strokes, falls, assaults, overdoses and sexual assaults.
The findings come as Denver firefighters have raised concerns about lengthy waits for Denver Health ambulances, including incidents in which crews reported no ambulances were available to respond.
The city’s agreement with Denver Health requires ALS ambulances to arrive within nine minutes of assignment on at least 90% of calls.
Denver Health has missed the 90% benchmark in recent years, reporting 82.1% compliance in 2025. Denver Health and city officials have acknowledged the response time problem and are working on changes to the EMS system.
CBS Colorado obtained city records showing 7,865 Priority 1 ambulance responses from Jan. 1 through July 31 took more than nine minutes from assignment to arrival.
Among the responses exceeding nine minutes:
- 3,552 took 10 to less than 13 minutes.
- 1,073 took 13 to less than 16 minutes.
- 342 took 16 to less than 19 minutes.
- 52 took 19 to 20 minutes.
- 202 took more than 20 minutes.
Denver firefighters were also independently tracking ambulance delays. Records from Fire Station 30 show crews kept monthly logs documenting delayed Denver Health ambulance responses.
The April call log includes:
- A 27-minute response to a chest-pain call
- A 26-minute response to an unknown medical emergency
- A 19-minute response to a hemorrhage/laceration call
- A 37-minute response to a lift-assist call
The May call log includes:
- A 15-minute response to chest pain
- A 15-minute response to a 93-year-old with a breathing problem
- A 22-minute response to an overdose
- A 17-minute response to a breathing problem
Denver Health Chief Paramedic Justin Harper said traffic, congestion and construction can affect ambulance response times. He said the agency prioritizes resources for the most seriously ill and injured patients and is willing to review firefighters’ concerns about delays.
The concerns come as Denver considers a major change to its EMS system. The proposed Denver Dynamic Response Model would use the type and severity of a medical call to determine what resources are sent.
Harper said Denver is preparing major EMS system changes aimed at improving response times and compliance. He said the solution may involve using existing resources more effectively rather than simply adding ambulances.
