January 16, 2020 — The scarcity of ambulances in Mendocino County affects all its communities, even the most heavily populated, where providers can count on the long-distance transfers that make up for less lucrative 911 calls. When there are no other ambulances available, the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority will shift an engine company, with a paid paramedic, to its ambulance, which then results in the drawdown of available firefighters.
Chief Doug Hutchison explained that it’s tough to get reimbursed for providing this vital service, but there might be a partial solution in sight.
Chief Chris Wilkes, of the Little Lake Fire Protection District, and Chief John Noyer, of the Brooktrails Township Fire District, also think a lot about the ambulance shuffle and some of its contributing factors. They’ve called for more funding, so providers can stay solvent, and a plan.
Last year, the City of Ukiah paid close to $70,000 for a countywide study of ambulance services, on the theory that a good plan calls for good data.
Hutschison expects the data from that study to be available at the end of January, and he’s already thinking about the actionable items.