Nov. 08--It is too early to know whether EMSA's extended response times will increase the time firefighters spend at the scene of an emergency, a Fire Department official said Thursday.
"Having a picture of the total impact time has really been hard for us to come up with," Michael Baker, director of emergency medical services for the department, told city councilors.
EMSA's new ambulance service provider, American Medical Response, began work last Friday.
The agency's contract with AMR lengthens the maximum allowable response times for ambulances responding to life-threatening emergencies from 8 minutes and 59 seconds to 10 minutes and 59 seconds. The allowable response time for ambulances responding to nonlife-threatening emergencies has been extended from 12 minutes and 59 seconds to 24 minutes and 59 seconds.
Fire Chief Ray Driskell and the local firefighters union have expressed concerns that the extended response times could leave firefighters, who typically are the first-responders to life-threatening emergencies, at scenes longer and affect their ability to respond to other calls.
As a precautionary measure, the Fire Department placed five additional fire trucks -- each manned with two first responders -- on the streets last Friday.
But Baker said after Thursday's council meeting that he can't say for sure that the new response times have increased firefighters' time on task.
He described "time on task" as the time between when crews are dispatched to when they are available for the next call.
"Basically, right now, it's way too soon to tell," Baker said. "We have seen some increases generally but we can't associate them" with the EMSA response times.
The response times need continued study, in part because this is a slow season for firefighters, Baker said.
EMSA CEO Steve Williamson told councilors that the average response time for life-threatening calls have gone from 6 minutes and 21 seconds in October to 7 minutes and 17 seconds over the first six days of November.
The average response time for nonlife-threatening emergencies has increased from 7 minutes and 16 in seconds in October to 9 minutes and 36 seconds over the first six days of November.
Baker told councilors that the last of the five additional fire trucks were pulled off the streets Thursday morning.
EMSA is paying the $37,000 cost of fielding the additional units.
The first five minutes after a major medical emergency -- such as a stroke or heart attack -- is when medical care is most vital and that care would continue to be provided by Tulsa Fire Department paramedics, according to EMSA.
Kevin Canfield 918-581-8313
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