Panel to Weigh Use of Private Ambulances

The city Board of Fire Commissioners is scheduled today to consider a proposal to use private ambulance firms to handle non-emergency calls. Supporters say the program--which if approved would be citywide--would free up paramedics to more quickly respond to urgent medical calls.

The idea of using ambulance firms was tested during a 1991 pilot program in the San Fernando Valley after a management audit found that most 911 emergency medical calls do not require the services of trained paramedics.

If the program works on a citywide basis, it can divert about 40,000 of the city’s 230,000 annual emergency paramedic calls to private firms, which would be required to collect fees from residents who use the services.

Fire Department Chief Roger Gillis said previous estimates projected that the program could save the city up to $6 million annually. But after closer study, he said the program may only break even because the city would lose on the revenue that it could collect for paramedic services.

Nonetheless, he said, the program can improve the Fire Department’s response time to real medical emergencies.

If approved by the board, the program will be considered by the City Council and the mayor.