Council OKs 8-Month Trial With Private Ambulances

Seeking to cut costs and improve emergency response time, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a pilot program under which private ambulance firms would supplement city paramedic services in the San Fernando Valley.

During the eight-month program, about 4,000 patients in the Valley whose lives are not in danger will be transported to hospitals by private ambulances, city Fire Department officials said.

Fire Department dispatchers will continue to send a paramedic van, ambulance or fire truck on all emergency calls.

At the scene, crews will decide whether the patient should be transported to a hospital by city paramedics or private ambulance, which would be used if the injury or malady is not considered serious.

For example, people with broken limbs or cuts and bruises would be candidates for transport by private ambulance, Fire Department officials said.

Battalion Chief Dean Cathey said if the pilot program works in the Valley, the department will seek council permission to expand it citywide.

Cathey said emergency calls are increasing about 6% a year in Los Angeles, forcing the department to add about three new paramedic teams each year.

The department is hoping that transferring some of the work to private ambulance firms will lower costs and simultaneously improve emergency response time.

Average response time on emergency calls is 4 1/2 minutes citywide and 5 minutes in the Valley, Cathey said, adding that crews have to travel farther in the Valley.

Private ambulance firms will bill patients directly, using rates approved by the city that are virtually identical to those charged by the department, Cathey said.

A typical five-mile trip to a hospital costs about $150, varying slightly depending upon the time of day and waiting time, according to a city report.

The pilot program met with an enthusiastic response from the council members, who considered it a cost-cutting measure.

“At one time I was an ardent advocate of having paramedics do everything,” Councilman Marvin Braude said.

But with the level of service threatened by rising costs, Braude said he commended the department for the “judicious manner” in which the pilot program was developed.

The idea arose during a city administrative office audit of the department, fire officials said. That audit showed that paramedics were busy handling less urgent calls, which slowed their response to life-threatening calls.

The program will be open to all city-licensed ambulance companies willing to operate in the Valley.